Sat 23.07.2016 Day 21

Saturday, 23.07.2016
Day 21
51,2 km
6.00 h to 18.00 h
N 54.29612 W 09.38693
Ballinglen River mouth

Oh my god…this was the far best arching, caving and rock hopping day I ever had! Since I turned around the corner inside Kids Island, until Horse Island, the whole coast is LITTERED with arches, caves, interesting rock gaps and stunning cliffs. I had luck with the weather. Besides the missing sun and ever-present rain squalls I had an offshore wind, low swell around 1,20 m. and outgoing tide. This made the water almost dead calm, though the offshore wind up to 20 kn was funneling in some coves so strong down the steep mountains I was thinking I should better stop already at the first beach in Portacloy. Thank goodness I didn’t, most corners it was sheltered, and the wind was manageable, where it appeared!
The cliff height was at times not less than the Cliffs of Moher, and as impressive! Just the “marching ants” on top were missing, here was no one, but just myself! What a privilege… Two or three fishing boats were passing far away in the rain, but the ever-present floating buoys, mostly in front of caves, showed some intense activity of crabbing or cray fishing.

I cannot recall now through how many arches, tunnels and stunning gaps I was paddling, if you see the pictures, every rocky hole is from a different place! And inside the caves, my small camera is actually doing quite bad, what a pity…

At Pig Island, I was surely first attracted to the obvious arch in the middle, neat and easy to go through. But I sensed there was some much more interesting corner just off the headland waiting. I turned in and a bit back, and there it was – one of the most stunning deep huge arches I have ever seen! The western end had steep high cliff walls, and the bird’s voices were echoing scarily. I wonder if the birds notice themselves? At the eastern end was a tiny rocky beach displayed at low tide, I landed for a snack and had the next scary moment – was it thunder, or falling rock noises? It took me a while to realize that it was just a passing jet plane, caught in the echo of the western arch entrance.

Some seals were playing around, I approached a sleeping one, hooked somehow to some see weed, nose stuck out high. He was scared to death when I was just 50 cm close and disappeared with a huge splash. The next cave had a seal deep inside, neat, but scary if you don’t expect it! At another cave, a fat seal was jumping right behind me…you must be able to navigate calmly backwards with your rudder out of the cave again, it feels like driving backwards with a trailer. I learnt it eventually…

Some caves were high, some low, some wide, some narrow, most were deep and long, and most of them had amazingly enough day light dozens of meters into the rocky hole! Ne was about 250 m long, and I slowly floated more than paddled into it, listening to some strange howling sound…what was that? All caves have their different noises from the water on the rock walls, this was new…did it have some opening where the wind as funneling through? Or were on top of some opening even some people having fun? I slowly worked myself in, myself completely noiseless, deeper and deeper, still with some day light, from at the entrance maybe 15 m wide and 30 m high, now about 5 meters by 10 m. Still space enough.
The howling noise came and went – scary!!! At some point, a seal was silently floating around me, and some more…this howling noise must be baby seals! A stinging smell of seal poop came soon up, I was about 200 m into the cave, and daylight became just a narrow line. I could not see the seal colony at the end of the 250 m cave, but sensed they must be there! Some reflecting seal skin in the last day light told me I am right.

I got a mean idea – I pulled out my strong flash light, knowing what would happen very soon when I’d be shining the light to the flat rocks where about 20 fat seals were having their rest. I grabbed the paddle tight, and surely as soon as I shone the light, within a second, the whole colony which has not noticed me before, was launching, scared to death, with heavy noisy splashes into the water! The 5 m narrow water channel around me was a mess now, seal bodies allover, besides and under me. And all in almost darkness, as I turned off my light pretty soon again not to get irritated myself. Me and my disturbed seal colony managed to not touch each other, and I slowly backed out of their private area again. Sorry guys! But this was too tempting to see how a cave seal colony is having their family life…what a pity making video or photos under this conditions would be quite a challenge!

Another cave was ending with a low opening where the day light was illuminating the crystal clear water. I ducked down to exit and blessed the low tide!

Another huge and long cave was even longer than the seal cave, probably 300 m! It became quite narrow and dark at the end, all water thank goodness calm. Still, due to the darkness and narrowness I got a bit scared and hectically managed to block my paddle briefly between the cave walls – thank goodness just briefly…it could have stayed stuck there! Not to talk about my boat…
There were few caves today where I said to myself “better stay out” or “go no further in”! One particular cave had a starfish breeding colony on the pink cave walls, in the next one, the walls were littered allover tiny black baby mussels, another cave was a burning jelly fish breeding colony. Amazing mono animal breeding life! And endless rocky holes to stick my nose in and out again…I really could tell by the times which cove or corner must have an arch or a tunnel or which cave was worth to go in!

I was thankful that after horse island, I had another 11 km of “real” paddling with wind and tide and NO caves or arches – actually wrong, there were also hundreds, but the cliffs were low and the holes not deep – I was spoiled now! And really cave-sick!
For a campsite, I had to paddle deep into my landing bay for a good sandy beach, and after 12 hrs on the water I was dead tired. I’d need some sunshine to dry out! At least I heard that at home there is a heat wave and I’m selling probably lots of ice cream!

Not sure yet what to do with the upcoming bay of Donegal – I really not keen on a deadly boring 60 km crossing! The other option is about 40 east and 30 km north into the bay, quite a detour! See what the wind says…and my motivation level after such an exciting but very long day!

Bild könnte enthalten: im Freien, Natur und Wasser
Bild könnte enthalten: im Freien, Wasser und Natur
Bild könnte enthalten: im Freien, Natur und Wasser
Bild könnte enthalten: im Freien, Wasser und Natur
Bild könnte enthalten: Ozean, Berg, Himmel, im Freien, Natur und Wasser
+24
11 Kommentare
Kommentare
David Horkan
David Horkan Welcome to North Mayo 😁

Ciaran Lennon
Ciaran Lennon · Mit Jeff Allen und 14 weiteren Personen befreundet

These caves are amazing, I spent a good portion of last summer guiding Daragh a photographer to capture the essence of these places. Check some images out here. http://dulraphotography.com/Blog/Latest.html

Kayak N'roll
Kayak N’roll Les superbe vidéos en HD qu’il y’a a faire ici !encore merci pour les photos ! et bon vent !Übersetzung anzeigen

Valli Schafer
Valli Schafer · 16 Gemeinsame Freunde

Hi Freya
Falls du bis Aughris Head in Co. Sligo kommst ruf mich an (0868265155) und ich hol dich ab für ne Nacht in nem ‘richtigen’ Bett und Dusche und so wenn du möchtest. Liebe Paddler Grüße
Valli

Frances Price
Frances Price Thank you for sharing all the photos, Freya!

Emanuele Autorino
Emanuele Autorino Always discovering beautiful places

Eoin FitzGibbon hat geantwortet · 1 Antwort
Dirk Herrmann
Dirk Herrmann Verfolge Dein neues Abenteuer. Aufregende Reise. Und schöne Fotos gibts auch. Viel Glück weiterhin.

John Petit
John Petit I have travelled all over Ireland and yet your experiences and photos open up a new and more beautiful world….Thankyou for sharing this with us.

Donal Dowd
Donal Dowd Your descriptive of voyage is great. I know it will inspire others to visit the #wildatlanticway. Thanks Freya.

Barbara Kelly
Barbara Kelly · Mit David Horkan befreundet

Fantastic coastal views.

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