Maria Braun

Returning from the trip to Jeziorak and the Elbląg Canal, I finally decided to fulfill my dream and see the seals near the mouth of the Vistula River, about 500 meters into the Gulf of Gdańsk.

I had heard years ago that grey seals live there in large numbers, but usually either the weather or the type of boat I was using didn’t allow me to visit that spot. The key factor for this expedition was the weather. Simply put – I have no experience with navigating waves on the open sea.

I went there with my friend Magda, who does a lot of kayaking. We arrived by car in the morning and parked near the ferry crossing in Świbno. The water seemed calm that day, although there had been strong winds the day before, so we had to wait one day. We launched my boat and Magda’s kayak and headed towards the Vistula mouth, which is about 3 kilometers from the crossing. There, the water started to get quite choppy, and from the river mouth to Mewia Łacha it’s about 500 meters. Magda and I agreed that we’d stick together – either we both make it, or we both turn back. Neither of us had experience at sea.

We put on life jackets, packed our phones into waterproof bags, and set off. Unfortunately, it turned out that the waves were too big for Magda’s kayak, and there was a real risk of capsizing, despite how badly we wanted to see the seals. So we returned to shore, stashed Magda’s kayak in the bushes, and she took the helm – serving as both passenger and videographer. That way, we set out once again toward the seals.

We got as close as we thought we could without disturbing the animals lounging on the island. There were dozens, maybe even hundreds, of seals. Some of them, upon spotting us, jumped into the water and accompanied us as we hovered near the island. Magda took care of filming and photographing, while I positioned the boat bow into the wind and gently paddled to stay more or less in place.

I highly recommend a trip like this, but the weather conditions have to be just right. Another option worth considering is joining one of the organized boat tours. These run several times a day and depart from the harbor near the ferry on the Świbno side.

Adres

ul. Złota 11
00-123 Warszawa

Contact

kontakt@mariabraun.pl

+ 48 697 993 960

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