Seals are preserved about Melsetter and are very tame, whilst about twenty
permanently reside on Reisa Little and feed up Sandy Bay at Lyrawa Burn. In
the Main Scapa Flow and the Bring they are now scarce, but are common again
on the islands to the north of the mainland (especially on the Taing Skerry,
where I twice saw over thirty in 1901)» on the Galt of Shapinsay, and on Gairsay,
Damsey, the Egilsay, and Eynhallow, all of which places I have visited at different
times. The largest number I have seen together in Orkney was on the Galt, a
long reef of rocks lying at the north end of Shapinsay; here one sunny August
day in 1901 there must have been at least seventy lying up, although it was
impossible to count them owing to their taking alarm whenever the boat came
within three hundred yards of the reef. In all these places except Eynhallow,
which obtains immunity on account of its terrific tides, the Seals are much harried
by Kirkwall people, both residents and visitors, the majority of whom will fire at
a Seal’s head in the water, careless of the fact that even if the animal is killed
it will probably be lost. The Calf of Eday is another Seal resort, and Harvie-
Brown and Buckley mention the Linga Holm off Stromsay as a favourite spot.
Sanday, Westray, and North Ronaldshay are not much frequented by the Common
Seal owing to their more exposed situation, but a good number fish along the
north coast of Sanday. These are probably travelling Seals.
The Common Seal is abundant in suitable places throughout the whole of
the Shetland group, and I have noticed a curious fact in visiting the vitulina
resorts in these northern islands, namely that some of the principal Seal colonies
occur on the western side of the islands, beneath the tremendous precipices, and
entirely exposed to the buffetings of the Atlantic. The Common Seal in all other
parts of Great Britain as a rule seeks the shelter of small islands flanked on the
west by larger ones which take off the force of the great seas that come in from
the west. In Shetland, however, this is not always the case, and the largest Seal
haunt in Great Britain faces the Atlantic in one of the wildest places one could
imagine, on an ironbound coast, too, that a Grey Seal might almost fear to make
his home.
Seals are plentiful at Scatness, the Holms of Quendale, and Fitful Head, also
about the islands to the west of Scalloway, but their principal home is the Lang
Clodie Wick at the back of Rona’s Hill in North Maven, where I counted over three
hundred Seals of this species in half an hour on August 14, 1901. No one ever
disturbs them here, nor are they likely to be molested, as the rocks on which
they lie are out of shot from the top of the precipices and it is only about two
days in the whole year that it is possible to get a boat round from Rona’s Voe
or Sand Voe.. The following extract from my diary with regard to this
wonderful place may be of interest to my readers.
‘Aug. 14, 1901.— The wind being down or rather coming in gusts from the
land over the top of Rona’s Hill, Jim Harrison said we would attempt to reach
the Seal rocks at the foot of the waterfall. After a long row of four hours we
passed Fingla Ness, and gradually approached Hevnadale Head, where we met
the wind coming down in heavy gusts from the hill. It was only after the combined
efforts of all four rowing as hard as we could . that, in half an hour, we
rounded the head and came into calm water. Twice I told Harrison we had
better give it up, but he would not do so, although we scarcely seemed to make a
yard. But it was done at last, and I looked ahead towards some great white boulders
lying beneath the precipices where Harrison said the Seals were sure to be. As
we approached gently I saw a splendid sight: some fifty Seals were lying scattered
on some sloping ledges, and on one huge isolated boulder as big as a large house.
Many of them were (as I have not seen them elsewhere in Britain) lying far up from
water, and some at least thirty feet up on the shelves, which were entirely covered
with the creamy excrement which they emit, showing that the rocks had been for
years their abode at all states of the tide and even in heavy weather. It was
delightful to see how tame they were. They waited until the silently propelled
boat was within twenty-five yards before they dropped off the rocks and fell into
the sea. Two Seals fell a height of quite thirty feet into the sea close beside us,
drenching us with the spray, and then popped up within ten yards for a prolonged
stare. After the first alarm all the Seals that were in the water crowded round
within thirty yards to have a good look at us and examine the strange visitors,
but we were careful to make no sudden movement; at times they even leapt up in
the water, evidently to get a better view. One little fellow was so impressed with
the visitors that Jim Harrison almost touched him with an oar. Meanwhile we
had passed out of sight of some twenty Seals that were still lying on the north
side of the isolated rock, and so I landed quietly to look them over in , case there
should be one of an exceptional size whose hide I coveted. As I slowly peeped
round the edge of .the rock there were loud splashes of Seals falling into the sea
twenty feet below, but a vision of a dozen broad backs well up on the rock some
fifteen yards from the dropping-off edge convinced me that I should still have
a few to inspect. These Seals were not fifteen yards from me, so I had to be
careful, but as soon as I had secured a good position and view of them it was evident