The main focus of the trip to Bempton Cliffs was the Diving Gannets Experience with Yorkshire Coast Nature. Inspired predominantly by the amazing photographs of Gannets by Henley Spiers, I’d long wanted to have a go myself. The Shetland Isles were a little beyond my budget, but Yorkshire, whilst still a six hour drive away, was more achievable. An underwater housing for my R7 was also a little out of range, but armed with a GoPro and a long selfie stick I was prepared to go the budget route. Along with the talented Daniel Hannabuss, we booked a trip in early June, and prayed that the weather would be kind. A band of heavy rain was forecast right at the time our trip was booked, but thankfully it still went ahead, and the rain held off just long enough.
We also spent a lot of time at the wonderful RSPB Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve. On the first night we were greeted with a big storm, some amazing cloud formations and an absolute soaking when the heavens opened! On the second day, after the boat trip, we spent the afternoon/early evening hunting for Puffins, which we did eventually find. We were also lucky enough to see the Barn Owl hunting back and forth. Day three was again quite stormy, but gave us some more drama, and the Gannets were certainly enjoying the up currents.
A fabulous trip, and we plan to head back next year to have another go with the Diving Gannets! You can see the accompanying video here.
