The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has introduced an amphibious boat, dubbed Rosie, to revolutionize conservation work on Coquet Island off Northumberland’s coast. This innovative vessel addresses a pressing issue: safe access during low tide.
The introduction of an amphibious boat, dubbed Rosie after its namesake donor, is set to revolutionize the work of ‘Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)’ wardens on Coquet Island off the coast of Northumberland. This innovative vessel has been custom-built to address a pressing issue: the lack of safe access to the island during low tide.
For years, ‘RSPB staff’ struggled with this challenge, as seasonal wardens who manage the tiny island could only take people and kit to the island at high tide, often at inconvenient times of day or night. This made life for the wardens, who live in the lighthouse, a little complicated. The solution came when David Morris, RSPB area manager, watched a ‘Bear Grylls documentary’ featuring an amphibious Sealegs boat used by the adventurer to access his private island in Wales.
Bear Grylls is a British adventurer, survivalist, and television presenter.
Born on July 7, 1974, in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, Grylls developed an interest in the outdoors at a young age.
He served in the British Special Forces as a member of the SAS (Special Air Service) and has since become known for his survival skills and wilderness expertise.
Grylls has written several bestselling books on outdoor adventure and survival and has hosted numerous TV shows, including 'Man vs. Wild' and 'Running Wild with Bear Grylls'.
He is also a motivational speaker and philanthropist.
The Rosie boat cruises along like an ordinary motorboat at sea but as it approaches land, the pilot lowers the legs from the hull using hydraulics and drives on to the beach on chunky wheels. This design allows for safe passage onto the island while minimizing environmental impact. According to Morris, there are very few Sealegs in Europe, and none have been used for a conservation purpose like this before. Rosie is expected to alleviate the wardens’ issues by enabling them to stay on the island and assist with all the work.
Coquet Island is home to Britain’s only breeding colony of ‘roseate terns’, as well as ‘puffins, common, Arctic, and sandwich terns’. Last year, a record 191 ‘roseate tern chicks’ hatched on Coquet, marking a welcome bounce-back after two seasons during which bird flu decimated seabird populations along the north-east coast.
The Roseate Tern is a medium-sized seabird that migrates from its breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra to the warmer waters of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
It travels up to 5,000 miles each year, crossing entire oceans and continents.
This remarkable journey takes around 2-3 months to complete, with the Roseate Terns stopping at various coastal areas to rest and feed along the way.
The boat’s arrival has been met with excitement among local people, with some even joking that it looks like something ‘James Bond might drive’. For Stephen Westerberg, the site manager at RSPB, Rosie is a game-changer. He can now stay on the island and assist with all the work, rather than simply being a taxi service to transport wardens and volunteers.
The vessel’s success has also been made possible by a generous donation from an RSPB supporter named ‘Rosemary Warburg’, who was delighted when it was suggested that the boat be named after her. The name Rosie is not only a nod to the bird species but also a fitting tribute to Warburg’s own nickname and generosity.
As Rosie continues to make waves among open-mouthed visitors and locals at Amble harbour, its impact on conservation work at RSPB in Northumberland will undoubtedly be significant.
- theguardian.com | Amphibious boat brings Bond style glamour to RSPB in Northumberland
