Orca family's rare visit reels in whale watchers to Farne Islands
W illiam Shiel's family has been running boat trips to the Farne Islands for more than 100 years. He had heard stories of the occasional orca long ago, but never in his own 40-year career had he ever seen one for himself.
That changed last week, when a group of eight killer whales made a spectacular — and unusual — appearance off the Northumberland coast, near Bamburgh Castle.
Shiel, 52, said: 'It was quite a sight. The dorsal fins were the size of a bloody garage door.
'My father Billy told me that while out crab fishing, he once saw a killer whale near Longstone Lighthouse [on Farne].' The lighthouse was made famous by Grace Darling and her father, when they rescued shipwreck survivors. 'I've been
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Changes to bin collection dates in Reading from Monday
Almost 80% of residents in Reading are due to see a change to when their bins are changes were being made to "futureproof the service to accommodate a growing population", Reading Borough Council 66,000 households have their bins collected in the borough, with around seven million individual bin collections made by the council each year. The council said there would be no reduction in service, with waste and recycling still collected every other week and food waste being collected weekly. Karen Rowland, lead councillor for environmental services and community safety, said: "Not every resident, but the majority of residents will see some change to one of their collection types, be it the grey bin, red bin or the food bin."There may also be a change to collection day for those who subscribe to the garden waste collection."In terms of having all of one waste type collected across the Borough on a given day, that makes it easier," Ms Rowland said."If we're running late on a certain collection on another neighbourhood we'll have a red bin collection vehicle right next door that can come over and help out with the service."People living in the borough have been advised to use the council website to find up-to-date information about their bin collections. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cornish slurry lagoon plans raise smell and access concerns
Concerns have been raised over plans for a slurry lagoon in Cornwall.A Cornwall Council planning committee is set to review the application from Richard Best - which is seeking permission for an earth-banked slurry lagoon at a farm site in Hatt, near lagoon would provide up to five months of storage and lie approximately 280m (918.6ft) to the south west of the nearest neighbouring residential property, according to the Local Democracy Reporting plans have been objected to by Botus Fleming Parish Council, which had concerns about the smell, potential contamination of a water course and highways impact. Slurry is a mixture of water and animal manure, which is spread on the land as a natural fertiliser.A council planning report said the scheme would not result in any significant adverse impacts to the living conditions currently enjoyed by neighbours and had been earmarked for approval. 'Headaches and cough' In its objection, Botus Fleming Parish Council said it was not clear how the slurry would be transported to the land is just off the A388, but concerns about large tankers driving down narrow rural roads locally used by walkers, horse riders and other motorists were raised by the added residents currently suffered from the stench of slurry across the wider farming site."They suffer headaches and coughs from the air pollution that is generated around their homes, their eyes sting and they have good reasons to fear the long-term consequences for their health," the council said. An odour impact assessment had been submitted and the council's public protection team had raised no objections from a Cornwall Wildlife Trust has also been consulted as the site is near the Villaton Wood County Wildlife Site, with the charity making recommendations to ensure wildlife is protected during Environment Agency (EA) had no objection to the plans, which it said would ensure the farm operated with sufficient storage for slurry."Nonetheless, the proposal must operate in accordance with the relevant regulations," the agency added.
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
New nature reserve to return rainforests to Yorkshire Dales
A new temperate rainforest in the Yorkshire Dales could prove to be a "vital oasis" for wildlife, people behind the scheme would be planted on a 16-hectare (40 acre) site at Park Gill near Kettlewell, to encourage the growth of mosses and create a carpet of ferns and flowers, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) rainforests used to grow along the damper western parts of the British Isles, but were largely destroyed over hundreds of years by grazing and conversion to other uses, the trust Leadley, north regional manager at YWT, said the new reserve would "give us a great opportunity to restore and expand this fantastic habitat". Temperate rainforest - also known as Atlantic woodland or Celtic rainforest - is the name given to rainforests which have high rainfall and humidity and a low annual variation in temperature.A wide range of trees grow in them, including sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow and hazel. The YWT said they can provide a home to red squirrels and pine martens, as well as threatened birds like wood warblers, redstarts and pied Leadley said: "Woodland is at a premium in this part of the Dales, and species such as black grouse which cling on in the area will also benefit from more berry-bearing bushes such as hawthorn in the landscape."This new reserve promises to be a vital oasis for wildlife in the Dales, and we cannot wait to see what wildlife it attracts as a result."We hope this beautiful site will be a haven for wildlife and a beautiful place for people to enjoy." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
