Big changes for Donna Nook seal visits - including limited time slots and a fee
PEOPLE who want to see Donna Nook’s famous seals will have to pay this year and book an hour time slot. Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust announced earlier this month that a booking system would be introduced to control the amount of visitors to Donna Nook.
It has now announced the first round of slots to see the seals starting on Sunday, November 1, and each one hour slot will cost £10 per car.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said: “This year, in order to open safely, we’ve introduced a booking system to help us manage the number of visitors.
“Sadly, if you don’t book, you will be turned away, even if you’re a member.
“You can arrive at any time within your booked time slot, if you’re more than 10 minutes late we can’t guarantee your spot in the car park.” Grey seals have been visiting Lincolnshire’s beaches since the early 1970s and spend the majority of their year out at sea or on distant sandbanks, only visiting the shore to breed.
One of the main attractions is of course the seal pups who are born with their stark white coats and spend two to three weeks suckling from their mothers on the beaches. There are 50 hour long slots available between 9 and 10am, 11am and 12pm, 1pm and 2pm and 3pm and 4pm, meaning a total of 200 per day. Blue badge holders are also asked to book in separately with 40 slots available to disabled visitors each day.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said: “Due to government guidelines, we cannot permit gatherings of more than six people.
“When booking your ticket please do not arrange to meet others if it means you will form a group of more than six.”
Alongside these booking measures there will also be no public toilets available at the car park this year and the public toilets in Somercotes will also be closed.
Additional safety measures will in place for visitors and caravans, coaches and dogs are still prohibited.
For more details, see the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust booking page.