Monday 21 November 2016

Kayaking from Sandwick to Mousa, seal pups, ancient broch and capsized mate



Kayaking from Sandwick to Mousa Island, where we found a few very cute seal pups and visited the Mousa Broch. Parts of the structure are about 2000 years old and that'e very impressive. It stood through the centuries unmouved by wind, rain and any kind of bad weather that the Shetland Islands can offer.

The island itself is pretty small, just few km across and its name means the moss island in Norsk if I remember correctly. It doesn't seem to be visited very often and probably that's why seal pups can be seen laying around.

When we were about to leave the shore and to continue a bit more around the islands, so we can see the caves too, one of the guys (who was going out in the see with kayak for first time in his life) capsized about 50 m into the sea and I had to drag him out of the water. However he didn't have wetsuit or any kind of protection and after been submerged fully he spend some more time in the 3 C degrees water and when he got back in his kayak he proceeded to paddle in the wet clothes another hour until we got to the mainland. Now I am thinking if this happened in the middle between the two cosasts he would've been in big trouble, I just don't see an easy way to get him back in the kayak or to drag him through 3-4 km of icy water.

So, the day was pretty interesting

View from the Sandwick's pier. Mousa can be seen just around the corner

Sandwick's pier

Into the sea

There was some rain in the begining but later on it stopped


My mates having a cigarette break

The Mousa Broch could be seen across the strech

When we got out on dry land the very first thing we've seen was a seal pup

I am not an expert but it looks like grey seal

And like all seal pups its very cute

But seems its mother left it alone, so it was scared of us and I decided to leave it alone, I am no sure but these seals seems to leave their pups like that on the shore. On this picture it really looks like puppy.

Another seal pup, a bit older

Probably grey seal pup also

A view from Mousa




The Mousa Broch, Over 2000 years old stucture

Inside in one of the chambers in Mousa Broch

The stairs inside the double wall in the Broch of Mousa. Some of the steps are less then the width of my palm

Inside of the Broch of Mousa

View from the top of the Mousa Broch


View from the top of the Broch of Mousa



Small seal colony on the Mousa Island

Grey seal pups at Mousa

Seal pups

Seal pups, on this picture they are like sea puppies



The seal pups looking at us


The way to the Mousa caves

Our capsized mate (in the blue clothes) getting out of the water his kayak










Last look at the Broch of Mousa

Well soaked on our way back

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