North Yorkshire Coast Wildlife - The Seal Colony at Ravenscar
Yorkshire is home to some of the country's most spectacular scenery. This also means it's also home to some wonderful wildlife - both inland on the moors and in the woodlands, as well as on the coast.
If you're prepared for a bit of a climb, the seal colony at Ravenscar is well worth visiting. It's not advisable to get too close to the common and grey seals as they lounge around on the rocky beach, but you can get an excellent view of them from the foot of the cliff, below Ravenhall Hotel.
There are around 300 seals living at the foot of Ravenscar - the rocky headland which features in just about every postcard photograph of Robin Hood's Bay. To get close to them you can park in Ravenscar village, there's plenty of on-street parking available, though it can get busy in the summer.
Head towards the National Trust shop (from the road) and just to its right you'll see a rocky track heading down onto Ravenhall Golf Course. A couple of hundred meters down the track you'll see a wooden signpost directing you down across the grass towards the cliff edge (not as dangerous as it sounds!). Just follow the path all the way down to the beach. The last section is a bit tricky, and can be slippy if there's been rain recently, so be careful.
This is not an advisable walk for those with mobility issues, or particularly young children (it is not pushchair friendly!). But if you're up for a bit of mud and the occasional scramble it's definitely worth the effort. Make sure you always check the tide time too - you don't want to get cut off!
For more information on local wildlife, check out this page on the National Park website: