Jersey Oysters walk. “Keep your left foot dry and right foot wet”
On the east coast it was very foggy!
Our walk to discover Jersey Oysters was -for some- an adventure.
Trudie was guiding a Jersey oyster trail from Seymour slip down to the oyster beds belonging to Jersey Oyster Company on the east coast of Jersey. This was to promote the re introduction of the Jersey Le Catillon Oysters which are now being farmed after a 150 year gap. They taste much better than the Pacific Oysters usually eaten in restaurants.
I was kayaking from Greve de Lecq no more then 5 miles away on the north west coast.
Depending on which side of the island you were on and you might have said Jersey was either a very sunny or very foggy place.
Jersey Met forecast a risk of occasional fog banks drifting over from Normandy but it seems this fog bank decided to spend the day around Jersey.
Meanwhile on the north west coast of Jersey we were in sunshine
At 0830 it was bright and sunny on the east coast but around 0900 the fog bank had rolled in and refused to budge until after 1700. Usually fog banks burn off as the heat builds up, but this one had no intention of doing any such thing. At times Trudie was walking in no more than 50m visibility. “It was a good thing I know which rocks to look out for” she said. Our walkers were obviously pleased that she has such a good knowledge of the area.
Having walked in this area for many years we really do start to know one rocky outcrop from another. This is a good reason why you should go with a guide if you are unfamiliar with the east coast Ramsar wetlands site on Jersey.
Old Jersey sayings to stay safe
A few hours later the fog banks had receeded but the tide had come in
If you talk to old low water fishermen they often tell you that if you get lost in the fog you need to find the low tide line and then “Keep your left foot fry and right foot wet”. In other words follow the edge of the tide line. This should take you on a somewhat long but safe route towards Gorey
We always carry a compass and a chart showing the essential compass bearings back to shore on our guided walks. If you carry a compass make sure you know how to use it because fog can easily appear when exploring around the low water zone and, in spite of what the forecast says it may not burn off.
If it looks like visibility is forecast to decrease it is also a good idea to wear a bright jacket.
Just to demonstrate how quickly the weather changes in Jersey, three days later we were experiencing snow and force 8 winds!