Yorkshire Diving Gannets

Today it’s mainly Gannet’s as I’m off to the seaside to photograph diving Gannet’s off Bempton, more accurately on an organised boat trip just below the Bempton cliffs where Englands largest breeding Gannet colony is located. 

The alarm goes off, its 4.30 am and I stumble around trying not to wake the other members of the family, luckily I’ve packed all the gear so its just a time for a quick cup of coffee and I’m off up the M62. Arriving at 6.30 am the harbour is deathly quiet with only few other photo togs having arrived, I grab another coffee fix from the coffee shop around the corner the owner a little surprised he has a customer so early in morning.

After a briefing back at the harbour we make our way to the boat for the one hour trip up to Bempton, this will be the first time for me on this trip so I'm a little unsure what to expect and how its all going to pan out. We arrive at Bempton with the boat located directly under the colony to get the Gannet’s interested and also to view at close quarters, the noise and smell is something to be experienced. After about twenty minuets the boat relocates about a kilometre off shore, gulls appear bobbing like corks on water already knowing whats about to happen, then the boat captain starts chumming and all hell brakes loose..!!

Gannet’s learn fast where free food is involved, initially small fish are thrown may be a couple at a time, and the diving starts, its fast its frenetic, and I find myself waving the camera about like some demented novice, learning fast I take my time and pick a subject early and tracking into the dive. A review of the shots show I've just captured the dive splash !… so I shoot earlier in a bust and try and get a full diving sequence with some success, more practice !

Fish are now thrown closer to the boat and intentionally bigger, the Gannet’s squabble with each other trying gulp down the fish before they are robbed of there meal, this part of the session is different from the diving but is just as exhilarating, but be it unknown me we are comping to the end of the session as the fish are practically all gone, the boat captain shouts…”one more, the last fish” and its all over. The Gannet’s wondering why the free feed as ended, some just sit on the water eventually driffting off elsewhere to find food for the last of this years young back at the Gannet colony

And thats it, only around an hour of actual Gannet diving photography, but what an experience. I’ll be booking again for 2018 in the next few days as I sure this trip will book fast.

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