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.





 

DIPPY’S ADVENTURES ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Today  I went to Yarmouth with my two goat friends, Basil and Olly. My magic 

lighthouse whiz zed us to Alum Bay, we then walked across Headon Warren, through 

the little village of Totland, and along Colwell Bay until we reached the small 

town of Yarmouth.

We hired 3 bicycles with helmets from a store in the town and set off for our 

bike ride on the old railway track which ran along the River Yar. It was 

delightful weather, the sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky and there 

was a slight breeze, which was very pleasant as we pedalled along the wide and 

very long pathway, all the way to the bridge at Freshwater. 

Basil suggested on our ride back we could have some fun racing games, Olly won 

nearly all of these because he was so super duper fast at pedalling, I won one 

of the races which was cycling for 10 metres standing up and not touching the 

bicycle seat!! 

Once back at Yarmouth we had a stroll around the Harbour, the boats rocked 

gently on the sea and the masts made tinkering noises like little bells, as the 

flags danced high above, amongst the many seagulls flying by. There were a few 

more clouds in the sky now and although the sun kept peeping through a shower of 

rain suddenly poured down upon us and soaked us completely. We were all 

shivering and now dripping wet, when Olly shouted out with delight to look up at 

the sky. There above us amongst the grey rain clouds and bright blue sky was the 

most enormous rainbow!!! What a treat to see such a beautiful site, I shut my 

eyes and made a wish.

We had a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows in the cafe on the 

pier to warm ourselves up and then came home back to the Park for a long soak in 

a very deep bubble bath.

CATERING VACANCIES FOR THE 2014 SEASON

Our Catering Department has a vacancy for a Catering Assistant for the 2014 season from March 29th to the end of September / October. (flexible)
To assist in the smooth running of the catering department, assisting Chef with food prep, serving customers, use of tills, clearing tables and maintaining high levels of cleanliness.
Five days a week to include bank holidays and weekends.  Hours per week (flexible) anywhere between 10 - 25  hours per week - to increase over busy bank and school holiday  periods.  Hours need to be flexible due to weather and trade.
We are looking for candidates  with excellent customer care skills and a ‘can do’ attitude that will work well within a team environment.
Please Email your details and current CV to  info@seaviewwildlife.com or by post to The Catering Manager,  Seaview Wildlife Encounter, Oakhill Road, Seaview, Isle Of Wight. PO34 5AP.   References will be required.
Closing date: February 28th, 2014.  Experienced candidates particularly welcome. Must have accommodation arrangements local to the Park and be 18 years of age or older due to H & S restrictions.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY