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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask for beautiful experiences with wild animals

150 replies

freeAnneBoleyn · 30/12/2018 17:45

I was just curious, as a family member have been to see the seals today (we come from a part of the UK where they come up onto a local beach to breed. It’s all patrolled by volunteers to make sure people don’t get too close but you can have a lovely walk and see all the rotund little babies and juveniles flobbing about adoringly on the sand)

He’s sent me some lovely pictures and it made me remember the summers I spent with my mates near that beach when regularly a seal or two would come and swim with us. We never courted it or tried to get overly close but they’d just hang out for a bit, bobbing up and down. It was lovely.

The time I rescued a stag beetle from a pint in our local London beer garden was pretty cool, and I once re-launched a beautiful sparrow hawk who’d got trapped in our shed after our guinea pigs, and there was the time I found a lame fox in Southwark (I’ve name changed as all my family and friends know this one) and persuaded the nearest Pizza Express to let me guide it into their enclosed foyer and sit with it (it was very very calm and gentle) fit two hours while a rescue centre could get a van to us. It did chew my handbag but it was only a cheap thing Grin

AIBU to ask for yours?

OP posts:
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sunnyday1976 · 30/12/2018 18:32

If you’re going to Scotland and want to see dolphins, can definitely recommend Chanonry Point. The dolphins come in as the tide turns (I think!) to catch fish. They aren’t guaranteed, obviously, but we were incredibly lucky to see quite a few, including a mother and calf only a few meters from the shore. Totally amazing to think they were completely wild, and it was as though she was showing off her baby! One of my best days.

Villanellesproudmum · 30/12/2018 18:34

Dolphins playing in the sea off the East coast of Scotland, Dolphins in the sea at Ilfracombe and our boat was chased by a whale and about 20 Dolphins in California. Most amazing experience was feeding a lion cub who had been rejected by its mum in South Africa, I bottle fed her and she ran off with my shoe when she finished! Also rescued a baby bunny and several frogs from our cats.

cushioncuddle · 30/12/2018 18:35

Many years ago. It was about midnight and it had snowed.
We were driving slowly home , fields either side of the road. Full beam on.
A snowy owl glided alongside our car. Only a couple of feet away. We could see him so clearly. Only lasted a few seconds but memory will never leave me.

Original poster
freeAnneBoleyn · 30/12/2018 18:35

sunny that’s brilliant to hear- I’ve booked a b&b as close to there as possible and just hoping!!!

Attempted to see wild dolphins three times but they’ve eluded me thus far.

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madeyemoodysmum · 30/12/2018 18:35

I went there today too. We went for a nice walk and food at the cafe but was so lovely to see the seals so close.

Some idiot families there tho Letting dogs get close and standing g a foot away from the babies.

madeyemoodysmum · 30/12/2018 18:37

I was willing a mum seal to head butt some of the idiots. I’d have loved that.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 30/12/2018 18:38

That's lovely, cushion You've reminded me of when I was driving home one night (around 4am) on a rural road and I was going through an s-bend there was an owl sat dead on the white line.

Pumperthepumper · 30/12/2018 18:39

I came on to say Chanonry point too! Fort George is also a good day out. The dolphins were just awesome to see.

We also went to Arran once, set up a picnic and looked over to see a stag standing about 100 yards away, just watching us. We’re in Scotland so deer aren’t so rare but the stag was just incredible. So close and not bothered about us at all.

DarlingNikita · 30/12/2018 18:43

I saw a snowy owl too, at dusk as DP and I were walking in north Norfolk. It was utterly silent and thrilling. It felt like seeing a ghost. It sent shivers up and down my spine.

SlowNorris · 30/12/2018 18:50

Lovely thread Smile

For those who’ve been, or live there, where would you recommend visiting in Scotland to see as much wildlife as possible?

I’ve visited some of the best spots in the world to see dolphins but for some reason they avoid me every single time.

immunogoblin · 30/12/2018 18:57

Grew up in the 70s with a seal! We lived on the coast and a seal pup was picked up by a well-meaning member of the public (almost certainly hadn't been abandoned as assumed by person). DF volunteered to take her but fully expected her to die within a few hours but she somehow survived and lived with us for a year. I was 5 at the time I think and just thought it was normal.

Pics show me and my sister in the garden with her, keeping a safe distance. Definitely not an animal to be touched...

Cat was massively pissed off.

To ask for beautiful experiences with wild animals
To ask for beautiful experiences with wild animals
RedHotel · 30/12/2018 19:01

I bet you/your relative and me live in the same neck of the woods... we went to see the seals there earlier this week

In late October, we realised a hedgehog was visiting our garden every night for food. We popped food out every night and a week later weighed it... it was far too small to successfully hibernate.

We - under the guidance of a local wildlife sanctuary - are ‘overwintering’ her, i.e. looking after it in the house until she can be successfully released, probably in April

She has had a really hard time... she was tiny to begin with and lost a huge amount of weight at first due to worms... in the last week (after a lot of TLC including a lot of wormers and antibiotics delivered via syringe feeding) she has started putting weight back on. Here’s hoping that continues.

She is gorgeous and the following passage has never seemed more apt...

www.cityyear.org/about-us/culture-values/founding-stories/starfish-story

To ask for beautiful experiences with wild animals
DisplayPurposesOnly · 30/12/2018 19:03

Aw, RedHotel, she's gorgeous. I have hedgehog envy!

ohreallyohreallyoh · 30/12/2018 19:03

Ooh.....when my eldest were about 18 months and 3 1/2 we spent an afternoon lying on our stomachs in the garden watching a hedgehog. It was the quietest afternoon I think I ever had when they were little. Utterly mesmerised!

RedHotel · 30/12/2018 19:05

Ah... just spotted you saying it was Horsey (as I thought). Yup... just up the road from me!

Original poster
freeAnneBoleyn · 30/12/2018 19:05

Beautiful hedgehog!!!! Brilliant work RedHotel Smile

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curlykaren · 30/12/2018 19:14

www.bajadiscovery.com/whale-watching/

We've done the above. The second most amazing experience of my life, the first being child birth. My son (7 at the time) stroked the inside of a baby whales mouth and patted a mother whale. Without exception, every time you visit the whales in the bay you can get to touch them. They love it and frolic like puppies. The confidence of the whales in meeting humans is kind of dependant on the age of the babies though so if you plan a trip don't go to early in the season.

pinkmagic1 · 30/12/2018 19:17

I was going to mention Donna Nook and the seals. See someone else has already mentioned it. Never seen so many all in one place in my life and they have no fear of humans.
I was in Egypt and it was the last morning of our holiday. I went for one last swim in the sea and all of a sudden saw a fin pop out of the water. I was a little concerened as immediately thought shark! It was a in fact a dolphin and he/she stayed for over an hour swimming around and under me. It was magical!
Also saw wild Barbary apes in Morocco which was pretty cool. They also had no fear of humans and one cheeky youngster nearly stole my camera!

Pachyderm1 · 30/12/2018 19:25

Swam with totally wild dolphins about a mile offshore in South Africa. Me and 2 friends were the only ones on our sea cruise so when we came across a pod of dolphins they just cut the engines and let us jump in the water with them. They came up to within a couple of metres of us, babies too. It was absolutely astonishing.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 30/12/2018 19:36

I lived in Australia when I was young and we went once to Philip island to watch the little penguins coming in to feed their Young. It wasn't the big event it is now, we just sat on the beach waiting. Then they all come flooding in, waddling and sliding on their bellies.
If you go to the Farnes in the spring you get to see the puffins, but even better, the little terns, with their little speckled chicks. Wear a hat though as they will (gently) peck your head.

Rowgtfc72 · 30/12/2018 19:40

Also live near Donna nook so the seals are a regular sight.

Heard a noise in my front garden one morning just after 4am.as I got up from work to find four fox cubs rolling in the gravel. The mum was sat on the wall watching and the dad on guard just by my gate. I'm not rural so was surprised to see them.

HesterSue · 30/12/2018 19:43

Years ago we visited the Isle of Mull for Christmas. We decided to all go to the beach for a walk before breakfast and my sister her husband and kids and my husband decided to muck about on the sand. I decided to keep walking up the beach and after a while I noticed an otter in the sea. It was watching me and I stopped and looked at it and then started walking and stopping, it started swimming and stopped whenever i did. This went on for about 20 minutes, it was magical and then it dived and disappeared. No one else saw any of this happen and I don't think they believed me either.

Tara336 · 30/12/2018 19:46

Dolphins swimming up to our boat in Portugal, one had a baby and it was swimming underneath her she rolled over in her back as if she wanted to show us. Seals swimming up to our boat in Scotland our dogs were looking over the side and the seals were looking back at them probably all wondering what each other were

Nothisispatrick · 30/12/2018 19:49

I’ve seen dolphins quite a few times, but most recently was in Gibraltar. There were HUNDREDS!

We had an amazing experience when DP and I first started dated. We were kayaking in Tenerife and a huge dolphin took a liking to us and was circling the kayak, going under spinning back around. Even the kayaking tour guys were amazed. They take you to a sea fish farm and the dolphins gather around at feeding time, the fish farmers would throw them fish.

Skyejuly · 30/12/2018 19:49

We went to Horsey Gap today!