Donna Nook: A little background

I have wanted to visit Donna Nook for several years. However, I was always put of by its over-exposure and it fell down the list of priorities. Other photographers have captured the seals so well, there seemed little point to over-saturating the market with even more images. But then again, I didn't get into wildlife photography purely for the money - you would be completely insane if that was your only motivation!

So this season I made the effort, but not immediately as it was busier than ever with over 40,000 people visiting the seal colony. Despite the growing numbers, the colony is thriving and producing more seal pups than ever with c. 1,200 pups from the 3,500 resident Atlantic Grey Seals, Halichoerus grypusseals.

I decided to put off my visit until now, at the end of the season, because I just wanted to capture the adults, not the pups. For an added incentive, I took my good friend and Maasai Elder, Boniface Mpario. After all the amazing sights that he had shown me in the Masai Mara, it was about time that I shared a few of Britain's wildlife gems.

The temperature was freezing, literally. There was a constant breeze and although it was light, it was icy cold. Donna Nook is an extremely exposed area offering zero shelter from the elements. You must take your comfort and safety seriously here, wrapping up with multiple layers (preferably technical clothing that can whick moisture away keeping you dry and warm).

To give you some idea, I wore a thermal base layer, 3-season socks, fleece-top, fleece-lined 3-season trekking pants (waterproof and windproof), Arctic down jacket zipped into a waterproof and windproof Parker, windproof balaclava, fleece hat, waterproof merino gloves and fleece mittens, long woollen boot socks, and neoprene Wellington boots. I was nice and toasty as you'd expect.

To reach the sandbank where the seals haul out requires a 500m+ walk across an inter-tidal zone of mud and sand (Wellington boots are the standard footwear). There are guide posts and a well-worn path (especially by the end of the season). If you are carrying equipment, then the walk is more than enough to build up heat and sweat, which is why whicking layers are so important. Without them, you build up moisture in your clothing which rapidly cools and chills once you stop.

The sand bank is very large, more than enough to make small black dots out of the people and seals. During the season, the cows haul themselves up onto the beach and are herded by the bulls into harems. So, as you walk along the sand bank you will see groups of cows with a large bull close by and possibly several other bulls on their own or hanging around the periphery of the group.

A word of warning... Grey seals are large and very wild predators with sharp teeth and powerful jaws. The bulls can way in excess of 300Kg and are over 3m long! Seals can move surprisingly quick on land so never let you guard down, especially if a bull is in the vicinity - always keep an eye on it.

If you plan to visit Donna Nook before the end of the season, or it is on your list of locations for next winter, then click here to read the guide by Stephen Street. It has detailed information in a concise format, so there is little point to me repeating or regurgitating it.