After a day of being stuck indoors because of the storm I was eager to get to the Tunnel to look at the guillemot colony.   As I concentrated on the birds I was fairly oblivious to the world.  Twenty minutes or so passed and I realised the noise of the waves crashing into the tunnel had become louder. Much louder. Sea conditions had changed…

The sound of water pounding the cliffs and funnelling through the tunnel was deafening. Watching the sets of waves, swell and spray was mesmorising but I decided to leave just as the waves sent spray over the rocks below me.

At a safe distance I watched the waves build momentum and increase in height. One big breaker almost touched the guillemot colony which would have been a disaster (for them and my monitoring work!).

(photo: taken from much higher up the path, not in any danger - honest!)

The sea looked just as impressive from a distance and I knew I had made the right decision to head home,

photo: the 'path' leading down to the tunnel and an enormous wave crashing against the cliff face

Gina