Travel Journal #5: Blakeney Point , North Norfolk Published Sept. 6, 2007 By Judith Wakelam 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs RAF MILDENHALL, England -- From RAF Mildenhall, take the A10 then the A149 coast road and in a little more than an hour you will find yourselves on one of the most beautiful parts of the British coastline - North Norfolk. I confess to being biased, having spent several years of my childhood there. The main reason for my repeated return to the area is its wildlife. This part of the coast is a magnate to bird watchers and naturalists alike, drawn to its migratory birds, rare plants and large seal colony. An interesting place to spend a day is Blakeney Point, a National Nature reserve owned and managed by the National Trust. The reserve consists of mainly salt-marsh with a 3.5-mile sand and shingle spit jutting out into the North Sea. At low tide, you can walk from the village of Cley out to the Point. The sea air is bracing to say the least, and the walk provides a really good workout to the legs. But, if you want to see the birds and seals the easy way, you can always take a boat. The seal colony consists of two species, the Grey and the smaller Common Seal. Their numbers have, I'm pleased to say, increased in recent years after having suffered a devastating decline due to a virus which nearly wiped them out in 1988. The spit is also home to many species of sea birds and has a large tern colony. You'll see them diving into the sea for sandeels. Several companies ferry visitors out to the sand banks where the seals can be seen both out of, as well as in the water. On a recent visit, I was lucky enough to see numbers in excess of 200, lots of the females being pregnant with next season's pups. Being curious by nature, they pop up very close to the boats much to the delight of children. The trips last about an hour and on some of them, tides allowing, you are able to land on the spit where you can take a look in the information centre. One company has been running seal trips since my childhood, and in recent years has become even more popular for some reason, with children in particular. So, book a seat with Mr Bean of Beans boat trips, he will take good care of you. You can purchase tickets at both Blakeney and Morston Quays. For more information: visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk and http://www.beansboattrips.co.uk. Editor's note: No federal endorsement is intended or implied