DIPPY’S ADVENTURES ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

 

WHERE IS DIPPY? CAN YOU SPOT HIM AND GUESS WHERE THIS BEAUTIFUL LOCATION IS ON OUR ISLAND?

Our Two New Arrivals at the Park!

Today is the first day of opening here at the park for the 2014 season with everything in full swing and the sun shining down!
Check out our cute new arrivals - Rare Breed Southdown Baby Doll Sheep or otherwise known as Teddy Bear Sheep...

We are all on track.... Go fabulous Team Seaview......

Fundraising for SANCCOB (The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds)

If you are interested in Penguins and conservation, SANCCOB (The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) is a fantastic organisation which we will be fundraising on behalf of this year!
SANCCOB is a non- profit rehabilitation centre based in Cape Town, that aims to conserve South Africa’s vulnerable seabirds.
This project is close to the hearts of keepers Tara & Charlotte (pictured below) who have both travelled to South Africa and volunteered at the centre.


For more information take a look at their website:
http://sanccob.co.za/

AMAZING DISCOUNT VOUCHER OFFER

CUTE NEW ARRIVALS AT SEAVIEW WILDLIFE

It has been a very eggg…citing day at the ranch after these beautiful Hawaiian Gosling’s hatched in the early hours of this morning!
Hawaiian Geese also known as Nene are found only on the Hawaiian Islands.  They are the world’s rarest goose and in the 1950’s there were only 30 left in the wild.  Fortunately they breed well within captivity and due to conservation efforts this number has successfully risen over the years and the Nene population now stands at around 2,500.


 All four now have hatched and are a healthy weight and are living together in a warm cosy brooder being looked after by the Animal Care Team.  Will keep you updated on their progress……..
 

DIPPY’S SATURDAY NIGHT OUT IN SANDOWN

Myself, Frank, Sammy and Dean my Otter friends all fancied a night out so on Saturday we took a trip over to Sandown.  I had booked a table at the Chinese Restaurant in the High Street as it had be recommended to me by several keepers at the park.
Our table was situated next to a huge fish tank full of colourful tropical fish.  The colour of their scales were fluorescent blues, pinks and greens.  It was a delight to watch them swimming in and out of the green reeds.
The meal was fantastic, all freshly prepared and the service was superb!  We treated ourselves to a bottle of beer each and after the meal we had a liqueur from the bar.  It was wonderful and we left a very big tip for the waiter with some free complimentary passes to visit my Park!  We wandered down the street which was lit up by the full moon shining down brightly high above in the star filled sky.
Frank, Sammy and Dean suggested a night time dip in the sea at Yaverland seeing as it was such a pleasant evening.  The tide was far out and the sand had been molded by the waves into gentle rolling ripples across the beach floor, onto which the moonlight shone down and reflected in the pools of still water.
As my friends swam in the sea I wandered along to the very end of the beach where I looked up to the extremely high diamond white chalk culver cliffs that loomed over me – it was truly enormous!  The Otters had finished their swim and were resting on the sand so I made my way back towards them.  The evening had been wonderful but now we were tired so we made our way back to the Park.  We wished each other goodnight and feel fast asleep in our comfy warm beds!

Seaview Wildlife gearing up to open its gates for a new 2014 season

What a beautiful sunny day at the ranch!  The birds are singing, the willow trees blooming lakeside, ducks are nesting, penguins are laying and the team are in fast track mode gearing up to get all departments ready for opening. 

 It is all hands on deck, the Gift Shop and Catering areas are having a major facelift, new exhibits are coming to fruition with some wonderful new arrivals planned,  the sun is shining brightly and we are looking forward to opening the doors again on March 29th.  We hope if your visiting the Island that you will take some time to visit our wonderful wildlife retreat tucked away on the NE coast of the Isle Of Wight with stunning ocean views.    It is a wildlife extravaganza not to be missed!

Barnacle Geese flying high over our Park Lands

Barnacle Geese spend their summer nesting in the Arctic Circle in Svalbard, Greenland and Russia. In the winter when it’s too cold in the Arctic they fly south for food and warmth. The Barnacle Geese that nest in Greenland fly south to the Isle of Islay and western Ireland, and the Russian birds fly to the Netherlands. The Barnacle Geese that nest in Svalbard (Svalbard Barnacle Geese) all fly south to the Solway Firth, on the south coast of Scotland.   The flock of Barnacles at Seaview tend to stay closer to home during the winter months and graze around the Nettlestone and Seaview areas.  They start to circle our park daily now recognising that opening time is imminent and visitors = food source!  They use our middle areas of park land to build their nests as we have a safe environment with electric fences to keep out unwanted predators.  These geese do not belong to us they are under licence and monitored by Natural England (DEFRA).


The journey between Svalbard and the Solway Firth is about 2,000 miles (3,200km), and the geese make this journey every year. On the way they have to cope with extreme weather, avoid hunters and find food. WWT Caerlaverock is where thousands of Svalbard Barnacle Geese rest and feed after this long and challenging journey, here the geese are safe.
In the 1940's there were only around 300 Svalbard Barnacle Geese, now, thanks to WWT Caerlaverock, there are over 30,000. WWT is also helping to look after the geese by fitting them with satellite trackers so we can see where they fly and plot this on a map. This helps to show the challenges the geese face on their long journey and what we can do to help.