The Maidens Exploration 12th March 2018

Описание: I haven’t been in or on the water since my back surgeries last July & I’ve missed the sea so much & can’t cope very well without it. I’m still trying to manage the pain & the debilitating effects of the MRSA & other current medical problems.

I set off for The Maidens from the Polar Bear carpark at Ballygally in my sea kayak on a misty but very calm still day with little to no wind & fantastic, near perfect, sea conditions.

As there was so much interest in my last adventure to The Maidens I decided this time to land on each lighthouse rock & thoroughly explore, photograph & video everything to let all you folk who have looked out to sea at them all your lives wondering what they are really like up close.
As you will see from the sign in one of my photos that access to the public is prohibited so I ask you plz not to report me to the “Lighthouse Police”!
I can assure you that I touched nothing, I took nothing but photographs & left nothing but footprints. I knew also that it wasn’t nesting season so I was not disturbing any nesting birds or new born seal pups.

I had my closest encounters with seals to date, young & old. Some were so inquisitive & playful. Many followed me as I explored around the West rock on which the disused lighthouse stands, one popping up right beside me several times talking to me like our Sky does when she wants to go for her walk. I could have stroked many of them but didn’t, I just got as close as I could & chatted to them like a big eejit.

It was a long tough paddle as I am so out of shape & sore from several injuries but I needed a big (13 mile/21 km) committing solo paddle to try to clear my head.
Oh, & I just added to my list of current injuries by breaking my finger as I was struggling to get back into my kayak in the swell when leaving the East rock lighthouse.