Last Saturday Clive invited me along for half a day to see the seals in a small bit of the fantastic nature reserve, Hamford Waters. His boss Leon had Okayed it the week before and the Friday night I could hardly sleep with the expectation. This 1500 hectares of coastal reserve is absolutely stunning and the Essex coast here, though not pretty or picturesque, is beautiful. It has a raw unspoiltness that makes me feel quite emotional. There used to be a lot more land here, which has been claimed by the sea over the centuries. The bird life is fantastic and the seals, both grey and common, are in abundance. I grinned from one ear to the other throughout – big happy smiley Sarah

Perfect spot for camping on a sunny weekend

Great sky too

Towing barges positioned along the shoreline to try and stabilise it against storms and high tides

Mum and baby seal taking a dip. Something in the water makes their fur rusty coloured. Here are a few more pictures….

Clive’s official title, “Open Space Ranger”. Don’t you love it!