Episode 6 Monty Halls' Great Irish Escape


Episode 6

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This is the coast of Connemara in the west of Ireland.

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It's been my home for six months,

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working for an Irish whale and dolphin conservation group.

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As well as photographing animals for identification,

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I've been dealing with strandings

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and tagging sharks as part of a worldwide migration survey.

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Whoo-hoo-hoo!

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It's the most rewarding job I've ever had.

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And it's great fun, did I mention it was great fun?

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It's late September and there's change in the Connemara air.

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Off the coast, the big basking sharks I've been tagging

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and DNA sampling have moved on.

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Where they go no-one knows, but I'm hoping my research

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will help in some small way to solve the riddle.

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And I haven't seen the dolphins in my bay for several weeks.

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But as well as departures, there's been some new arrivals as well.

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There's a little grey seal pup here.

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If ever there was a harbinger of the change of seasons,

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it's starting to see the seal pups away from their mums.

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But by the look of the size of him, I'd say he's been weaned,

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they're weaned after four to six weeks and what this guy's done

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is he's just hauled himself up to have a bit of a rest.

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You can see what the sea's doing, this is two or three metre swells.

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Can you imagine that little scrap of fluff,

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that little scrap of nothing out there amongst those waves.

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So for me, that's the sign that autumn really is here.

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Soon the weather will be too bad to get out to sea, so my research

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for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group is coming to an enforced end.

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Four months ago, my boss, Simon Berrow, and I

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moored a listening device in the bay.

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It registers the sound of any dolphins within 800 metres.

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And it's the first ever deployed in Connemara.

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Because it works 24/7 and in all weathers,

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it keeps monitoring when I can't.

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So by combining its findings with my photographic record,

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I'll be able to build a full picture of dolphin activity over the summer.

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I've got a slight concern. As you can see it's really blowy today.

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There's been a couple of big blows have come through

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and from my cottage just there, I haven't been able to see the buoy for a while.

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Now there's every chance it's still out there.

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It's been between troughs, but I'm going to go and have a look.

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Today, there's a big swell in the bay

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so spotting the buoy will be a nightmare.

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I'm putting all my faith in the GPS position I marked on day one.

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According to the waypoint it should be right there.

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It's pretty accurate, the way of finding these buoys,

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because you plot a waypoint when you put them down.

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And so, the boat takes you back to the exact spot where you put it.

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So I think it is this one, you know.

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But it does help

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if you remember what number you gave the original waypoint.

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Right, I think I've found it.

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I think it's 15.

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A long way out from where I remembered it was.

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The whole idea of having the pod out here

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was to try and get a fairly good record of how many animals

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are moving through this area and is there a constant presence,

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and, of course, if there is a constant presence, it means you can

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set up the area as a special area of conservation,

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or you can certainly apply for that.

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But there's obviously certain sections of the community that

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would struggle with that a bit,

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like the fishermen, because these are their fishing grounds

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and they're the grounds they've fished since time immemorial.

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What can happen, and what's has happened elsewhere,

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is that the buoy line's been cut,

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so the buoy disappears and you can't find your pod,

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so you can't establish it one way or the other.

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Now, I'd be very, very surprised if that's what's happened here.

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But, you know, then again, you don't know, do you?

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All I know is that the buoy seems to have disappeared.

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The search will have to continue.

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Meanwhile, I'm under pressure from Simon to help him raise funds

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for a whale and dolphin rescue pontoon to be based in Connemara.

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The Roundstone Dive Festival was a brilliant event,

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but when my girlfriend Tam totted up the takings,

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we still had less than half the 5,000 euros we need.

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So Simon has thrown down a new challenge,

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a sponsored row of over 20 miles from the Aran Islands to Roundstone

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in a traditional currach.

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He's nicknaming it The Aran Sweater.

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Obviously, culturally there's been huge links

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-between Roundstone and the Aran Isles, you know.

-Yeah.

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The whole currach tradition in and around Connemara is amazing,

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so it might bring a tear to the eyes of the locals

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when they see currachs.

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Well, I'm amazed it's never been done before, but it probably has!

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-There's a reason why!

-Yes, very true, probably a very solid reason!

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It has to be a challenge and it has to...

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People have to say, "OK, good luck." You know, it's not going to be easy,

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-maybe it's a euro a mile or...

-That's a good idea.

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A euro a mile's a great idea. Yeah.

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'Several marine conservation groups are promoting the event on their websites'

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and notifying everyone on their mailing lists.

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I've got a substantial sum still to raise,

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the Dive Festival raised 2,300 euro, the pontoon costs 5,000 euro,

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so this event somehow has to generate 2,700 euro for me.

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This is all part of the training...

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for The Aran Sweater.

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I'm trying to row over storm-lashed Atlantic shores

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and as far as I'm aware, I've been chatting to the locals,

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it's never been done before, so I'm going to try and do it in a day.

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When I get to Roundstone, I'll be a legend.

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Yeah, it's pretty knackering.

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It's going to be very, very intense on the day

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because of the waves and the wind. It's not just rowing.

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That's a mile. I'm one twentieth of the way.

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The other thing, just out of idle interest, is that I'm sinking.

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The boat's filling with water,

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so I'm going to have to stop and have a little bale.

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I am properly sinking, actually.

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There is really an enormous amount of water in her.

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What I'll do on the day is I'll probably use a currach that isn't sinking.

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That might be an idea.

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Give you an idea, the water in the boat

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is now that deep. I-I am sinking, it's official.

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When I get back to Roundstone, the first person I need to see

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is local currach racing legend Paddy McDonagh to ask if I can

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borrow his currach and to see whether he can sort out the leak.

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But first I need to reveal Simon's challenge.

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The scheme is to try and row a currach

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from the Arans to Roundstone.

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-From Inis Mor?

-From Inis Mor.

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Are you thinking, "This is madness,"

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or are you thinking, "Ten years ago I would have done it myself"?

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No, I'd love to. I've often thought about it, actually.

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-What, doing the Arans to Roundstone?

-Hmm.

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-Really?

-I did, yeah.

-Yeah.

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-The weather now means everything.

-Yeah.

-What day were you hoping to do it on?

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Fairly soon because on the Friday coming, the tides are right

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and the wind's right,

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-and I figure if I'm going to do it, I might as well do it sooner rather than later.

-Yeah.

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It's a good pull, but fair play to you.

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Would it be all right to borrow the...the blue one to do it, Paddy?

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-Do you think that'd be the right one?

-Of course.

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She seemed to ship a bit of water as I was rowing her.

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Is that kinda normal?

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No, maybe a bit of yoke might have come loose or something, you know.

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Right, right.

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I'll have a look at it tomorrow.

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Paddy, that's really kind. Thank you very much for helping us out.

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I really appreciate it.

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-Lovely.

-I'll look like you by the time I finish.

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-Oh, God, I hope you don't, Monty lad!

-Grand.

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It's force five, you reckon, on Friday?

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'But this time of year everything hangs on the weather.

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'If there are still dolphins in my bay,'

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they're keeping well hidden and the basking sharks are long gone,

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but a few weeks back I did get out

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tagging blue sharks with John Brittain and they are still here.

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My plan is to get into the water and film them

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for my talks on why sharks deserve proper protection.

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They're being killed at the rate of a hundred million a year

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and blue sharks are suffering as badly as any.

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That yellow balloon has got a mackerel flapping enticingly in the current.

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There's a rubby-dubby trail heading towards the horizon and we're kinda relying on those

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six fabulous senses of the shark to pick it up and come in and have a look.

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'The idea is to lure the sharks in rather than catch them.

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'Despite their reputation, they're naturally wary

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'and it's two hours before we even get a nibble.'

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Oh! He's at the bait, he's at the balloon.

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In fact, you can see the actual marks of the individual teeth there.

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Look at that, clean slice, and a clean slice there.

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'If I get in the water now, I'll just scare the shark off,

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'so I've rigged a camera that I can hang over the side.'

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Extraordinarily high-tech system we have here - bits of fence post and binder twine.

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It's still there, it's coming back in.

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'With no viewfinder all I can do is point and hope,

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'but the shark is putting on a real show.'

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Hey-hey! Oh, that's wonderful!

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Oh! He's got the bait.

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Oh, lovely! He's swimming right at the camera.

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One of the reasons this is so exciting

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is this is an animal our kids won't see, the next generation won't see.

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In the last 20 or 30 years, blue shark numbers are estimated

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to be down by 60%, so you know we could be the last people to see

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these shadows swimming round a boat, which will be a tragedy of course.

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'Out of nowhere our first shark is joined by a second,

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'and this one is even bigger.'

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Two sharks, which is what we want.

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That's when you start getting that element of competition.

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When that happens, they tend to forget about what else is going around them

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and that gives us that tiny window of opportunity to maybe jump in the water and get some shots.

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It's a fine balance.

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Get in too soon and the sharks will vanish,

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leave it too late and they'll be more confident

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and I could become the next thing they decide to check out.

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Whoa! It's there!

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The shark is getting bolder.

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My safety diver Andy and I have become her focus

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and she's swimming in a classic figure of eight,

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checking out everything that puts out an electronic signature.

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For now it's the back of the boat, but soon it'll be us.

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This isn't a basking shark.

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You know, these animals are opportunistic, open ocean hunters.

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Look at that!

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This is the footage I wanted to get.

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True predatory behaviour by the so-called "wolf of the sea".

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That is a great shot!

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The reason these blue sharks are biting the camera

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and biting the stern of the boat, they're not attacking the boat or attacking the camera,

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it's that sixth sense. Everything gives off electricity, all living things,

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and they have these pits in their nose that pick up that electricity,

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and metal does as well, of course, so the shark comes in, gets confused, limited visibility.

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With that limited visibility they're biting the metal in confusion.

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They think it's something alive, but it's creating some great shots,

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I think, I'll have to go and watch the tape.

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Oh, here we are. Ohhhhhhhh!

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That is quite a shot.

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Thank you so much, John.

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-No, that's super. So pleased you got that on film.

-Sensational.

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Lovely to see the animals in their natural element, isn't it?

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-Absolutely.

-Really special. Really special.

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What an experience. So nice to know they're still out here and...

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Whoa. To see 'em in the water is really special,

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to see the way they move, and even that moment,

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that little turn towards you, that moment of predatory interest,

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your pulse races and the blood thunders in your ears.

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It awakens something quite sort of primal and basic in you, you know?

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Having enjoyed my shark encounter without incident,

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I'm now back at the cottage where there IS a medical emergency.

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Rubes has cut his paw.

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Poor lamb. And there's blood spots all over the floor,

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and he's feeling very, very sorry for himself,

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because he's a bloke. He's milking it for all its worth,

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so this is the sort of sympathy moment.

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He comes and sits on my lap when he's hurt himself.

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You all right there, Rubes? Think you'll make it through the night?

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I'm sorry, pal.

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It's all right, geezer.

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This is a very important meeting for me because I'm off to see

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John Brittain and Martin O'Malley,

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two men who know more about these waters than pretty much anyone else round here.

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'I'm relying on their advice to choose the optimum day for my big row from the Aran Islands.'

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-How are you, Monty?

-I'm very well, I'm nervous, that's how I am.

-I'm not surprised.

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I expect you've every reason to be.

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John's my shark boat skipper and Martin's a coastguard

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and powerboat instructor who'll be manning my safety boat.

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I'm plundering their expertise to work out the most favourable tides,

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which are completely predictable, and the best weather, which isn't.

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-Well, Tuesday or Wednesday, Tuesday's 15 to 25.

-Yeah.

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Yeah, so Monday would be kind of optimum, wouldn't it?

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-Monday's southerly.

-Right direction,

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and also it's decreasing during the course of the day.

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'So Monday it is. I need to tell Paddy,

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'who's lending me his currach and see whether he's traced that leak.'

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-So you found it was leaking, did you?

-There's very little, maybe a little bit sun split.

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-She needs tarring, it's as simple as that.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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I had a great meeting with Martin O'Malley

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and John Brittain who talked me through, you know,

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when to hit the optimum tides and all that sort of stuff.

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What is the wind on Monday?

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It's good, it's south-easterly so...

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I don't know how you...I don't know how you organise all this!

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Yeah, well, there we are. I've got contacts. I've got contacts.

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-Can I give you a hand with the tarring?

-You can of course.

-Brilliant.

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This is currach tar.

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-Currach tar, so it's a special type of tar?

-Yes, it's quick drying.

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The plan is this dries overnight, so by tomorrow morning it should be completely dry

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and then, obviously, we'll be across in the Arans on Sunday night ready for the big push on Monday.

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-A bit more?

-Yeah, I'd give her plenty, yeah,

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especially on the joints, you know, because it's a bit sun split.

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So where did you learn?

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-What to...

-How to build a currach.

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Ah, yeah, well, everybody on Inishlacken, I'm an islander originally, you know.

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-Of course!

-And everybody... that was the...

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that'd be your school bus and your taxi, whatever, so...

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So that's where your rowing skills came from, it was...

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-your social life, as well, I suppose.

-Of course. Of course.

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-How does that look to you?

-It looks perfect.

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Paddy's become a good friend over the summer.

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He's a real Connemara character formed by the sea

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and I'm sure that has something to do with his upbringing

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on the island of Inishlacken, out in the mouth of Roundstone bay.

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He's offered to take me out there to see where he grew up.

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Look at that beach. Beautiful.

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The Island's had no permanent residents for decades.

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Paddy's family was one of the last to leave in search of an easier life.

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So, Paddy, why did everyone leave the island?

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Tis hard work living on a place like this.

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You can't run down the shop, or run down for a bus or a taxi, whatever.

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Everything is on foot and by boat.

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And are your memories of living here, Paddy, are they good memories or are they bad?

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Ah, indeed they are, great. Dancing was the in-thing at that time.

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I used to go out to the mainland at night

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-and swim ashore and change into the dancing gear.

-Oh, really?

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And then come back at two or three o'clock on the morning or later.

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-Fantastic.

-And swim back out here aboard,

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and go back in and put your clothes on and...

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That's so James Bond.

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That's very James Bond. That's the coolest thing I've ever heard.

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Brilliant. So your social life was dictated by the tides?

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-A lot of it, yes.

-Yeah, how funny!

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Did you see dolphins and basking sharks?

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-When I was a young lad, I used to go out in the currach and play with them.

-No?

-Yeah.

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Paddy's old home lies at the far end of the island.

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It's ruined now,

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but it was home to many generations of the McDonagh family.

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Do you know who built it?

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It was my grandfather built this end of it,

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but the rest of it is much older, I believe.

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-That's a grand house. It withstood a few storms in its time?

-That's for sure.

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This house, if you look where it is, it's just...

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And what about brothers or sisters, Paddy?

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-Four sisters, one brother.

-And all living here?

-Yeah.

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And you slept through...

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And there was a bedroom here. There was a loft now coming over to here

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and that's how your fish for the winter, food for the winter would be stored up there.

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-I see, and that was salted?

-Yeah.

-Were you healthy as a young lad?

0:19:090:19:13

-Yes.

-Yeah?

0:19:130:19:14

'Listening to Paddy, I'm keen to sample some of that

0:19:140:19:17

'lost lifestyle for myself.

0:19:170:19:19

'He's inspired me to spend some time on the island before I leave Connemara

0:19:190:19:23

'to test myself at living off the land.'

0:19:230:19:26

And when you fished, Paddy, what sort of fish were you catching?

0:19:280:19:32

Pollock, mackerel?

0:19:320:19:34

Well, lobster and crayfish on a daily basis.

0:19:340:19:38

When at the beach, you'd be down picking winkles, carrageenan, or cutting seaweed.

0:19:380:19:44

So you would gather along this seashore here?

0:19:440:19:46

That's right.

0:19:460:19:47

I'm not sure whether I'm cut out for that sort of life

0:19:470:19:51

but once I've wrapped up my work, I'll definitely be back to give it a go.

0:19:510:19:55

It's very easy to get sidetracked, but I have to grab

0:20:000:20:04

every weather window to search for my missing acoustic pod.

0:20:040:20:07

When I last looked for it, it had vanished and the pressure is on.

0:20:070:20:11

If it's not there, it presents a whole new problem

0:20:110:20:14

that would be a nightmare for me,

0:20:140:20:18

because the data that's on it is invaluable, absolutely invaluable.

0:20:180:20:22

Aside from the fact that it's worth 4,000 euro it's the data on it

0:20:220:20:26

and it would answer so many questions for me.

0:20:260:20:29

The Whale and Dolphin Group are anxious to analyse the results,

0:20:290:20:33

but the weather is due to go downhill along with any chance of finding it.

0:20:330:20:37

OK, we're 0.2 of a mile away from where the buoy is so...

0:20:380:20:44

..it's on our right.

0:20:460:20:47

This is definitely the right point, without a doubt.

0:20:500:20:53

Oh, a big one coming.

0:20:530:20:54

If you think of the power in these waves that are dragging the buoy

0:20:560:21:01

to the surface and tugging it, and it's out there for months.

0:21:010:21:04

We're in 150 feet of it now, 120 feet,

0:21:040:21:07

so it is a bit worrying that I can't find it.

0:21:070:21:14

97 feet, 60 feet, 50 feet, 40 feet, not here, is it?

0:21:140:21:20

Right, I'm going to give Simon a call and I'll give him the bad news.

0:21:200:21:25

Hello, Simon, it's Monty.

0:21:250:21:27

Now, I've come to check out on the buoy, which has gone.

0:21:270:21:30

I mean, I can come out with divers on Wednesday, I can book a dive team

0:21:300:21:34

on Wednesday and have a really good look.

0:21:340:21:38

Obviously, I've got the GPS position, but I'll keep you posted.

0:21:380:21:42

D'you know, on my bow at the moment I'm looking at a buoy that looks uncannily like...

0:21:420:21:48

It might have been dragged.

0:21:480:21:49

That could be, it does look uncan... Do you know, I'll get back to you.

0:21:490:21:53

I'll call you in about two minutes, I'll let you know.

0:21:530:21:56

Smashing. Cheers, Simon.

0:21:560:21:58

You couldn't make it up, could you?

0:21:580:22:00

Has it got writing on it?

0:22:000:22:04

How about that? That... I can't tell you the relief.

0:22:040:22:10

Cannot tell you the relief.

0:22:100:22:14

A quick check confirms that it is my buoy.

0:22:140:22:17

Back it goes to keep scanning for dolphins

0:22:180:22:21

while I record the new GPS position.

0:22:210:22:23

And this time I'll make sure I remember the number.

0:22:230:22:27

Now we're 0.33.

0:22:270:22:28

So, so important.

0:22:290:22:31

Waypoint arrival, OK, that's great.

0:22:320:22:34

Got his answer phone. Hello, Simon.

0:22:350:22:38

Unbelievably that was, that was the buoy.

0:22:380:22:42

I've marked the new position, so we're back on, which is fantastic.

0:22:420:22:45

Marvellous. All right. Thanks, Simon. Bye.

0:22:450:22:49

I'm so pleased. So relieved, I can't tell you.

0:22:520:22:55

Now, the next stage is pulling it up and finding out what's in it.

0:22:550:22:59

The culmination of my whole six months here really.

0:23:000:23:04

It's on. As you can see from the weather, perfect.

0:23:200:23:25

So Paddy's doing the final prep of the boat,

0:23:250:23:27

give me a final pep talk, and then we're off.

0:23:270:23:30

I'm hoping to come over and meet you tomorrow.

0:23:300:23:33

Well, it'll be good to see you out there. I might need a morale boost round about that time.

0:23:330:23:38

We'll give you a shout all right.

0:23:380:23:41

Now your oars are tied down, they're all double pinned

0:23:410:23:46

and treble pinned and whatever.

0:23:460:23:48

If you for any reason that you feel whatever, I'll do it if you want.

0:23:480:23:54

Oh, dangerous words! Grand, off we go.

0:23:540:23:58

There you are.

0:23:580:23:59

-See you later, Paddy.

-Good luck. All the best.

0:23:590:24:02

Cheers, thanks a lot. Cheers, thank you.

0:24:020:24:04

Martin O'Malley and I are heading for Rossaveal, the slipway closest to the islands.

0:24:040:24:10

There I'll hitch the currach to the RIB for the tow across.

0:24:100:24:14

I'm planning to start the row home well before dawn,

0:24:140:24:17

so I'm praying that the new layer of tar has done the trick.

0:24:170:24:20

Launching, I feel like the Queen Mum.

0:24:200:24:24

But this is an 80-year-old boat, which like all currachs

0:24:260:24:31

has a tendency to leak if the timbers dry out.

0:24:310:24:34

It's been in ten minutes, hasn't it?

0:24:340:24:36

I can't be baling every ten minutes, so this presents a major problem.

0:24:360:24:41

It's there, I can actually see the point it's coming in.

0:24:430:24:47

I've got it.

0:24:470:24:48

So frustrating. Weeks and weeks and weeks I've been waiting to do this.

0:24:480:24:52

It's here, that's where it's...

0:24:520:24:54

-Anything you put on there, it's going to come straight off.

-It is now once it's wet.

0:24:540:24:58

'With Martin foxed, I can only think of one person who might be able to help.'

0:24:580:25:03

Hello, is that Paddy?

0:25:030:25:05

Paddy, we've hit a slight technical hitch.

0:25:050:25:08

It's leaking really badly, the water's pouring in. Yeah.

0:25:080:25:12

Martin's with me here now saying it just wouldn't make it across.

0:25:120:25:16

Is there any way we could use the grey one? We can take all the pins out and do everything we need to do.

0:25:160:25:22

And there's a man just turned up who might have the right kit.

0:25:220:25:25

Martin's just going to go up and sweet-talk him.

0:25:250:25:28

It turns out to be Padraig Joyce, the hooker skipper I raced with a few weeks back.

0:25:300:25:35

Hello, Padraig, how are you?

0:25:350:25:36

He's come to wish me luck.

0:25:360:25:38

Serendipity, you know. Padraig has just turned up,

0:25:380:25:42

quite randomly, and he's legging it home now and he's going to go try

0:25:420:25:46

and get a blow torch and a little bit of caulk,

0:25:460:25:48

a bit of tar and just see if he can do a sort of on the spot repair.

0:25:480:25:53

An hour later, Padraig's back.

0:25:530:25:56

But if the tar gun doesn't work, I'm sunk in every sense.

0:25:560:26:00

Thank you, Padraig. You're saving the day, as ever.

0:26:000:26:04

You were exactly the right man to come along, you know?

0:26:070:26:11

Right, shall we try her?

0:26:110:26:13

It's seeping. This looks much better.

0:26:160:26:20

Hello, Paddy, problem solved.

0:26:200:26:21

The big leak is, is almost completely watertight now.

0:26:210:26:25

I'm looking at it now and there's a tiny trickle coming in,

0:26:250:26:27

but it's hardly anything so we're still in good time.

0:26:270:26:31

All right. Cheers. Bye.

0:26:310:26:33

Paddy was about to... He was just about to jump in his van

0:26:330:26:36

and come down here and sort it out. This is personal for Paddy,

0:26:360:26:40

you know, he really wants this to happen. Brilliant, we're on.

0:26:400:26:44

The setback cost us a couple of hours,

0:26:440:26:46

so we won't arrive in the Arans until well after dark.

0:26:460:26:50

Ah, there's a little bit of water coming in but not drastic amounts.

0:26:500:26:54

So, beautiful. Nice to be back onboard as it were.

0:26:540:26:58

It's now eight o'clock at night, morale is high.

0:26:580:27:03

A couple of leaks on the way over, I was checking,

0:27:030:27:07

but a lot of it was due to the bow wave and I can't imagine

0:27:070:27:11

I'll be creating quite the same bow wave when I'm rowing.

0:27:110:27:15

And just getting here is a triumph, believe me. Now I've got to get back of course.

0:27:150:27:19

The row starts before dawn tomorrow.

0:27:190:27:22

The best I can hope for is a few hours uneasy sleep.

0:27:220:27:26

It's 5:48 in the morning.

0:27:280:27:32

You've got the three wise monkeys in the back here.

0:27:320:27:35

Martin and his co-skipper, Ian, will be manning the safety boat

0:27:350:27:39

in case I have to abandon the attempt in mid-row.

0:27:390:27:42

Right. Give her a bit of a shove, I suppose.

0:27:420:27:45

I'm starting before dawn to catch the right tide both leaving the Arans

0:27:450:27:49

and if I get my timings right, rowing into Roundstone Bay.

0:27:490:27:53

The first stroke of many.

0:27:530:27:55

See you in Roundstone.

0:27:590:28:02

Just getting used to the motion of the ocean as it were,

0:28:040:28:09

and the boat doesn't appear to be filling up with water too alarmingly,

0:28:090:28:13

and I'm just trying not to think about the distance ahead, you know?

0:28:130:28:18

The full distance is over 20 miles,

0:28:180:28:20

but in my head I'm breaking it down into three roughly equal legs.

0:28:200:28:25

The first is undoubtedly the hardest - an eight mile open water channel that,

0:28:250:28:29

as far as I know, has never been rowed in the modern era.

0:28:290:28:34

I was really worried about this stretch actually,

0:28:340:28:37

as it's a bit of open water and an infamous bit of open water between

0:28:370:28:40

the Aran Islands and the mainland, so I'm really looking forward

0:28:400:28:44

to getting this behind me, but it's very poignant to see

0:28:440:28:48

the Arans sinking into the distance and Gollum Point coming up behind me.

0:28:480:28:52

The Whale and Dolphin Group has 2,500 euros

0:28:520:28:56

pledged towards the rescue pontoon, but only if I make it the whole way.

0:28:560:29:00

If he had a good currach, he'd be in Roundstone by now. HE CHUCKLES

0:29:000:29:06

All right, Paddy. All right. Talk to you soon. Bye-bye.

0:29:060:29:11

Paddy was on to us.

0:29:110:29:12

-Was he?

-Yeah.

-Did he say, "Has he had breakfast and been to the toilet?"

0:29:120:29:17

That's Gollum Point, and that's like my first check point

0:29:220:29:26

and now I'm turning down the coast, so I've got a seven mile run in

0:29:260:29:30

and then turn in towards Roundstone so...

0:29:300:29:33

so pleased to get that out of the way, but hopefully now

0:29:330:29:35

I've got the tide with me and it's firing me up the sort of barrel of a gun.

0:29:350:29:41

After three hours of hard graft, I need all the help I can get,

0:29:410:29:46

not least from Martin who's keeping me on the straight and, quite literally, narrow.

0:29:460:29:50

Do you see that dark shape, like a sail? You'll head for that.

0:29:500:29:54

So we're heading just sort of between those islands?

0:29:540:29:57

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

0:29:570:29:58

Through the little gap because Maids Head is directly behind us

0:29:580:30:02

-and that's your, that's your last turn.

-Right.

0:30:020:30:05

It's funny I've got GPS, GPS, high-tech charts, compass and Martin

0:30:060:30:13

just saying to me every now and then, "You're going the wrong way."

0:30:130:30:17

Watch her there. Yeah, keep her in this way.

0:30:170:30:22

-There's a tidal race coming through against you.

-Come on.

0:30:300:30:34

-You've... It, it has slowed you down.

-Oh, definitely, yeah.

-Yeah.

0:30:340:30:38

If I ever needed a boost, it's now,

0:30:420:30:44

and it arrives in the shape of my mentor, Paddy.

0:30:440:30:47

You're doing well. Getting tired?

0:30:470:30:51

A little bit, yeah.

0:30:510:30:52

Really feeling the pace now, you know?

0:30:560:30:59

It's hard work these last few miles, so near and yet so very far.

0:30:590:31:06

That is Roundstone and it's a sweet sight, believe me.

0:31:100:31:14

The last few miles have been tiring, you know? It's been really hard.

0:31:140:31:19

All right, Paddy? Five miles to go, it's going to be emotional.

0:31:190:31:22

That's on top of the 19 miles I've already covered

0:31:220:31:25

in the six hours since setting out.

0:31:250:31:27

But it's really sweet, you know, a really sweet feeling,

0:31:270:31:33

just covering this last bit of ground knowing what it represents really -

0:31:330:31:36

the opportunity to present the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group with

0:31:360:31:41

this pontoon, be a lovely way to, to polish off my time here really.

0:31:410:31:45

And as I turn the currach for home, I'm starting to pick up

0:31:470:31:51

familiar landmarks.

0:31:510:31:52

I always said to myself when I was planning this that

0:31:540:31:57

when I saw my house I'd start thinking that maybe

0:31:570:32:00

I could finish, you know? It's a sweet sight.

0:32:000:32:04

Where's the banner?

0:32:120:32:14

How nice, although I can't read what it says on it yet.

0:32:150:32:18

It could say anything.

0:32:180:32:20

-Come on, Monty!

-Come on!

0:32:230:32:25

Thanks.

0:32:280:32:29

-APPLAUSE

-Thank you very much. Thanks.

0:32:320:32:35

Never again. Never again.

0:32:370:32:40

HE LAUGHS

0:32:400:32:42

Thank you very much. Thanks.

0:32:450:32:46

Oh, the beer! I've been fantasising about that beer.

0:32:490:32:54

Now, Monty boy, leave it there.

0:32:540:32:56

Thank you very much, Paddy. Thanks a lot. And thanks for coming out.

0:32:560:33:00

-Great achievement.

-Right, I'm going to grab that beer.

0:33:000:33:03

'And why not? The pontoon fund is £2,500 euros richer!

0:33:030:33:08

'Still a couple of hundred to raise, but for now that can wait.'

0:33:080:33:13

-Mmm.

-You've done well boy, fair play to you.

0:33:140:33:16

Thank you very much. Thank you, cheers.

0:33:160:33:19

-Ah, Padraig?

-Fair play to you.

-Thank you.

0:33:210:33:24

And thank you for last night, you saved the day.

0:33:240:33:28

Come on, thanks. Good on you. Fair play to you.

0:33:280:33:31

Thank you very much, thank you.

0:33:310:33:33

Again, thank you for turning out, it's really kind, thanks.

0:33:330:33:36

'It's 11 o'clock at night now,

0:33:360:33:38

'and this momentous day that's now drawing to a close.

0:33:380:33:42

'No more emotional moment than right at the end,

0:33:420:33:46

'coming in to Roundstone.'

0:33:460:33:48

The reception on the jetty, just unbelievable.

0:33:480:33:52

I had no idea that many people would turn out.

0:33:520:33:56

I thought maybe two or three would turn out.

0:33:560:33:59

It was overwhelming, absolutely overwhelming.

0:33:590:34:02

Um, not a day I'll forget in a hurry for all sorts of reasons.

0:34:020:34:05

The time has come to retrieve the acoustic pod

0:34:100:34:13

that's been monitoring dolphin movements in the bay.

0:34:130:34:16

It's been down for four and a half months now,

0:34:160:34:19

and the information it contains, combined with my sightings,

0:34:190:34:23

might prove the dolphins are resident in the bay.

0:34:230:34:26

There it is! My baby.

0:34:260:34:29

Right, let's see if I can get her up.

0:34:340:34:36

Almost like playing a big fish, you go with the rolls of the boat.

0:34:360:34:39

If I just take my time... and take some turns around here.

0:34:390:34:44

I can feel I'm lifting off the bottom now.

0:34:500:34:52

'The problem isn't the pod...'

0:34:520:34:55

Only another 45 feet to go.

0:34:550:34:57

'..it's the chunks of pig iron that have supposedly

0:34:570:35:00

'kept it securely anchored in one place.'

0:35:000:35:03

'That's the pod,

0:35:200:35:22

'but now the pig iron that's been, er, anchoring it down.'

0:35:220:35:27

It was moored on the tip of that island there.

0:35:270:35:30

It's moved all the way back,

0:35:300:35:32

and that gives you an idea of the power of the ocean out here.

0:35:320:35:36

It's my kind of science... with massive bits of pig iron.

0:35:370:35:44

This is what the fuss is all about.

0:35:440:35:48

See how amazing coated it is,

0:35:480:35:51

but the really exciting science is right there.

0:35:510:35:54

See, in the middle there is a little chip

0:35:540:35:57

and that chip has recorded the movement of every dolphin

0:35:570:36:01

and every porpoise in this stretch of water in the last four months.

0:36:010:36:06

For me this is like a magic box.

0:36:060:36:09

And this box contains the answers to all the questions I've been asking myself,

0:36:090:36:13

pretty much the whole time that I've been in Roundstone.

0:36:130:36:16

'Back on dry land, I'm making one last effort

0:36:160:36:20

'to complete my pontoon fundraising.'

0:36:200:36:23

It's the day of the Roundstone Rowathon.

0:36:230:36:26

The whole idea of the thing is that last weekend

0:36:260:36:29

I did the Aran Sweater, and I've still got a bit of money to raise.

0:36:290:36:33

'So I'm going to get the people of Roundstone

0:36:330:36:37

'to row the equivalent distance on dry land,

0:36:370:36:40

'and pay for the privilege with their donations.'

0:36:400:36:43

If you guys can just stand there all day like that, that's perfect.

0:36:430:36:47

'To cover the same distance I did, I reckon we need to keep

0:36:470:36:50

'the rowing machine moving for at least six hours.'

0:36:500:36:53

Fancy a go, chaps - three minutes on the rower?

0:36:530:36:55

'At this time on a Sunday morning that seems like a tall order.

0:36:550:36:59

'But a few days ago I did a talk at the local school,

0:36:590:37:02

'and the kids have turned out in force to get the day going.'

0:37:020:37:06

Are you ready? OK, three, two, one - off you go.

0:37:060:37:10

Perfect, well done. Go on then.

0:37:130:37:16

15 seconds, well done.

0:37:170:37:19

... five, four, three, two, one!

0:37:190:37:24

Brilliant, well done.

0:37:240:37:25

'What I need now is a few hard hitting adults

0:37:250:37:29

'to really rack up the kilometres.'

0:37:290:37:32

A bunch of fit guys. After this man...

0:37:320:37:34

'And here they are, right on cue.'

0:37:340:37:37

OK, in your own time, off you go.

0:37:370:37:39

This could be the time of the day, I've just got a feeling in my bones.

0:37:420:37:46

Really strong. Well done.

0:37:470:37:50

30 seconds, a big 30 seconds.

0:37:500:37:51

Five, four, three,

0:37:510:37:54

two, one!

0:37:540:37:56

Well done, mate, well done, really strong.

0:37:560:38:00

Really, really, really strong. That was 910 metres, a new record.

0:38:000:38:06

I'm going to have to have a go at that.

0:38:060:38:09

Right. We can't have a man in Lycra setting the best time.

0:38:090:38:14

... four, three, two, one.

0:38:320:38:36

Hooray!

0:38:360:38:38

That... 980. Thank you.

0:38:400:38:43

'The record is mine, by 70 metres.'

0:38:430:38:47

That was tricky... That's it, I've peaked.

0:38:470:38:50

It's very nice, the village is drifting in, dribs and drabs.

0:38:500:38:54

Just what I was after, the whole village joining in.

0:38:540:38:56

Ah, Paddy! Hello mate, how are you?

0:38:560:38:59

The reason I look like this is, I was like, I'm not having that!

0:38:590:39:02

I'm not! So I had to get on. I was like that.

0:39:020:39:05

I've just been round the corner losing my breakfast.

0:39:050:39:08

I've just been round the corner like...

0:39:080:39:10

I'm pretty much there in terms of the money,

0:39:140:39:16

so this has turned slightly more into a bit of a community thing,

0:39:160:39:19

of let's get this boat into the Roundstone harbour.

0:39:190:39:22

And it's lovely for me that all the kids are doing it.

0:39:220:39:25

That takes us - 16 kilometres we've done now.

0:39:250:39:29

The boat should go about there.

0:39:290:39:31

We've got a little way to go, but I'm confident you guys can do it.

0:39:310:39:36

Good girl. Really strong, really strong, Michael.

0:39:360:39:39

You look ready for anything. Good pace, good pace, very nice.

0:39:390:39:43

Rowing with killer heels, let's see.

0:39:460:39:50

Keep going!

0:39:560:39:57

We've done 33,584 metres in three minute chunks.

0:39:570:40:01

It's been a great effort today. When I set this up this morning

0:40:010:40:04

I had 38,000 metres to row,

0:40:040:40:07

and it's been done almost entirely by local people,

0:40:070:40:11

it's been done by the kids, tourists, people passing by.

0:40:110:40:15

It's been a fantastic collective effort.

0:40:150:40:18

Well done. And you're done. Well done, team, well done!

0:40:180:40:22

I think one of the kids should finish it off.

0:40:220:40:25

And they've decided that Michael should do the last bit.

0:40:250:40:28

Are you ready, Michael? OK, off we go.

0:40:280:40:31

Good last 300, a big strong 300 to finish.

0:40:310:40:33

Go, Michael!

0:40:330:40:34

OK, 100 metres left. Go on, good strong last few pulls, Michael.

0:40:370:40:42

You're just coming into the harbour, 20 metres, and...

0:40:420:40:47

finish! Hooray!

0:40:470:40:48

ALL CHEER

0:40:480:40:51

Well done. Guys, you rowed 38,000 metres, so well done.

0:40:510:40:57

And you've raised about 300 euro for the Trust, so well done.

0:40:570:41:02

A terrific effort, terrific effort by the guys. And I have to say

0:41:020:41:06

the ladies of Roundstone have contributed as well, you know.

0:41:060:41:09

That takes us home, that takes us past the finishing post.

0:41:090:41:14

So there we are.

0:41:140:41:17

Great stuff. Piece of cake.

0:41:190:41:21

Hooray! Very good.

0:41:210:41:24

'As predicted, the weather has turned for the worse.'

0:41:330:41:36

Look at that.

0:41:360:41:38

If I go out there my sideburns will blow off.

0:41:410:41:43

'Today's the day I find out what the acoustic pod

0:41:430:41:46

'reveals about the dolphins in the bay.'

0:41:460:41:51

Joanne from IWDG will be here in about half an hour or so,

0:41:510:41:54

and, er, is going to open it up.

0:41:540:41:58

At last we'll get the data.

0:41:580:42:01

-Hello Joanne, how are you?

-Sorry I got a little bit lost.

-Everyone does, everyone does.

0:42:020:42:07

'In today's howling gale

0:42:070:42:09

'it's easy to see why you can't just rely on sightings alone.'

0:42:090:42:12

In this weather you could be sitting here looking out and you won't see them.

0:42:120:42:16

But the pod is sitting there and that will hear them.

0:42:160:42:19

That's where it works its magic really for us.

0:42:190:42:21

-Right. You've got me all fired up now. Let's go in there.

-Let's go.

-Yeah, this is it.

0:42:210:42:26

I'm almost putting off the moment of truth. Come on.

0:42:260:42:30

So I'm just gripping...

0:42:300:42:31

'The pod should have registered every time

0:42:310:42:33

'a dolphin passed within 800 metres,

0:42:330:42:36

'and recorded the number of minutes of activity detected every day.'

0:42:360:42:41

If we tilt it up this way... OK, the battery's are still working.

0:42:410:42:45

You can see the light in here is still flashing.

0:42:450:42:48

'So far so good, but this is like opening your exam results.'

0:42:480:42:52

I'll just take out the SD card - dun, dun, dun!

0:42:520:42:56

'We're about to find out how often the dolphins

0:42:560:42:58

'have visited the bay over the summer.'

0:42:580:43:01

So this is the data downloading, the seven days, eight days.

0:43:010:43:05

'Extracting four and a half months of data is a lengthy process.

0:43:050:43:10

'But at the end of it Joanne has a column

0:43:100:43:12

'which shows us how many minutes per day the pod detected dolphins.'

0:43:120:43:16

So you deployed the pod here on the 5th of June,

0:43:160:43:20

so the very next day we had five minutes within that day.

0:43:200:43:24

Four minutes there, two minutes there, one minute, four minutes there.

0:43:240:43:27

It's good to see a good strong presence of dolphins.

0:43:270:43:30

Exactly. You've done really, really well, it's fantastic.

0:43:300:43:33

-Thank you very much.

-Fair play to you, well done.

0:43:330:43:36

'I'm delighted with the results,

0:43:360:43:37

'which prove that dolphins regularly visit Roundstone Bay.'

0:43:370:43:41

So the highest we've had so far is 16, 17 now.

0:43:410:43:46

So that's really good in the course of a day.

0:43:460:43:48

'The pod is showing dolphins on about 20% of days.

0:43:480:43:51

'It still doesn't actually prove that there's a resident pod here,

0:43:510:43:55

'but it's a significant step forward.'

0:43:550:43:57

You've shown the area is important for dolphins. You've got them visually,

0:43:570:44:01

now we've got them acoustically on this.

0:44:010:44:04

So the next thing would be to have dedicated trans-ex

0:44:040:44:07

where you're going out on a bi-monthly basis, if possible.

0:44:070:44:11

You'd be doing your photo ID studies.

0:44:110:44:13

Having an array of these in the area would give us more information.

0:44:130:44:17

So that's the kind of things that have to be explored in the future.

0:44:170:44:22

I think that's the next stage, to really have that dedicated...

0:44:220:44:25

That costs money, that's the problem. There's more to come.

0:44:250:44:28

There's more to come, but you've done the groundwork.

0:44:280:44:31

No, it's been an absolute pleasure, it really, really has.

0:44:310:44:35

Well, I'm delighted.

0:44:350:44:37

If there was one thing I wanted to achieve this summer

0:44:370:44:41

it was just showing that the area out there is special, Connemara's special.

0:44:410:44:45

And now we've got solid data. What does that data show us?

0:44:450:44:49

Well, it conclusively shows

0:44:490:44:51

that there's a very significant presence of dolphins out there.

0:44:510:44:55

And I think that there's enough dolphins there frequently enough

0:44:550:44:59

for further research, further investigation, and who knows,

0:44:590:45:03

maybe one day even setting up

0:45:030:45:05

a little special area of conservation for it.

0:45:050:45:08

So... I feel vindicated about the work this summer, thoroughly.

0:45:080:45:12

'But the job's not finished yet.'

0:45:120:45:16

I'm off to a meeting with Simon,

0:45:160:45:19

where I'm going to present him with the pontoon,

0:45:190:45:22

the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group with the pontoon, and have a good chat with him about how I've got on.

0:45:220:45:27

We're meeting at the Galway Mayo Institute Of Technology,

0:45:270:45:31

which funds a lot of his work, including the acoustic monitor

0:45:310:45:34

that I deployed to study the pod of dolphins.

0:45:340:45:37

It reinforces what we thought, that pod ranges over a bigger area,

0:45:370:45:42

and within that area they're resident in the sense that they are regularly seen.

0:45:420:45:47

But the more you get to show that they are there,

0:45:470:45:49

it's the same animals, time and time again, it does...

0:45:490:45:52

-It builds a picture and pushes the conservation. We have to protect the habitat.

-A huge body of work.

0:45:520:45:58

The more you do it, the more you have to do. But you have to make the start.

0:45:580:46:02

'Simon's asked me to talk about the results of my research

0:46:020:46:05

'to students and academics from the marine biology department.

0:46:050:46:09

'I'm used to public speaking, but this is nerve wracking stuff.'

0:46:090:46:13

It's been a great opportunity for us

0:46:130:46:15

to celebrate the marine life around Ireland and Connemara.

0:46:150:46:19

So you're very welcome and I hand you over to Monty Halls,

0:46:190:46:23

our man in Connemara.

0:46:230:46:24

Thanks, Simon.

0:46:240:46:26

APPLAUSE

0:46:260:46:27

Initially I got this big romantic notion

0:46:270:46:31

that the pod of dolphins was a resident pod.

0:46:310:46:33

The funny thing was I kept sending Simon pictures saying, "Look at this picture, unbelievable!"

0:46:330:46:38

He kept sending them back because he wanted pictures like that,

0:46:380:46:42

'cos of course you can get photo ID from the fins.

0:46:420:46:45

So we spent a lot of time this summer doing the photo ID

0:46:450:46:48

and a lot of time tagging the baskers.

0:46:480:46:50

There's so little work done on this animal that visits the coast

0:46:500:46:54

in more numbers here than pretty much anywhere else in the world.

0:46:540:46:57

Surely that is a global standard eco-tourist attraction that you've got here.

0:46:570:47:01

'Debrief over, it's time to present the rescue pontoon

0:47:010:47:05

'that's been the aim of all the IWDG's fundraising.'

0:47:050:47:08

There we are, that's Simon demonstrating the pontoon

0:47:080:47:12

in a dive festival we ran in Roundstone.

0:47:120:47:15

'It's involved a lot of hard work to buy,

0:47:150:47:18

'but it's great to know that it'll be here whenever it's needed.'

0:47:180:47:22

So Simon, I'd like to present you with this shiny new pontoon.

0:47:220:47:26

APPLAUSE

0:47:260:47:28

A big moment for me, to present a pontoon to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

0:47:290:47:34

That moment is the culmination of my summer's work.

0:47:340:47:37

-Well done, Monty.

-Thank you very much, Simon, cheers.

0:47:370:47:41

So that's the pod results and the pontoon dealt with.

0:47:450:47:49

My other research is more long term.

0:47:490:47:52

The dolphin ID pictures are now part of Simon's growing database of sightings.

0:47:520:47:57

One in particular showed up on a regular basis,

0:47:570:48:00

so wherever it next appears we'll always know

0:48:000:48:04

that it spent the summer of 2010 in Roundstone.

0:48:040:48:08

The shark slime DNA samples are being analysed

0:48:080:48:11

at Aberdeen University,

0:48:110:48:13

and will be added to a worldwide database at a University in Florida.

0:48:130:48:17

Basking shark slime.

0:48:170:48:19

And when the tags on the blue and basking sharks

0:48:190:48:22

are found at some future date they'll add to our knowledge

0:48:220:48:25

of their life cycles and migration patterns.

0:48:250:48:28

Yoo-hoo!

0:48:280:48:30

'All in all, a pretty good six months' work.

0:48:300:48:33

'There's just time now to fulfil a personal ambition.'

0:48:330:48:37

I'm in my last few days in Roundstone.

0:48:370:48:40

I thought it would be lovely to go to Inishlacken Island,

0:48:400:48:43

just for a couple of days, put the pots out, do some fishing,

0:48:430:48:47

eat what I catch and just have a little bit of cave time

0:48:470:48:52

at the end of what's been an amazing six months for me.

0:48:520:48:56

I left Inishlacken after my visit with Paddy

0:48:590:49:01

thinking it would have made a great place to live,

0:49:010:49:04

although its remoteness would have made my job impossible.

0:49:040:49:08

But that very isolation makes it the perfect place

0:49:080:49:11

for a bit of quiet reflection on a glorious summer.

0:49:110:49:15

There's no mains water on the island, there's no electricity.

0:49:150:49:21

It's kind of a very basic existence.

0:49:210:49:24

I'm staying in my mate Simon Ash's house.

0:49:240:49:27

He's the estate manager from Ballynahinch Castle,

0:49:270:49:30

and he's got the old schoolhouse here.

0:49:300:49:32

Oh, look at that fire!

0:49:340:49:37

I think I can muddle by here for a couple of days.

0:49:370:49:39

The idea is to ban the crew and film everything myself.

0:49:400:49:44

I'm marooning myself on an abandoned island

0:49:440:49:47

with nothing but a bag of spuds, just to get a taste of how life was

0:49:470:49:51

for Paddy and the other families who used to live here.

0:49:510:49:54

Blowing an absolute hooley.

0:49:550:49:58

It must have been sort of gusting 50, 60 knots, it was ridiculous.

0:49:580:50:01

But in the midst of that maelstrom,

0:50:010:50:04

I caught my dinner.

0:50:040:50:07

So that's grand, mackerel.

0:50:070:50:09

Late in the season for mackerel, it's October now.

0:50:090:50:11

Really bizarre, as I was tying the boat up,

0:50:110:50:14

I realised I had an audience, which hopefully is still there.

0:50:140:50:17

'The figures I saw have disappeared,

0:50:170:50:19

'so it's not until later in the day that I track them down.'

0:50:190:50:24

I am the only human being on this island.

0:50:240:50:29

Still a few donkeys around though.

0:50:290:50:32

Hello chap, how are you?

0:50:320:50:35

Look at that, ears straight back.

0:50:360:50:39

I think there's about seven or eight on the island. Great life for them.

0:50:390:50:43

Plenty of food, no-one to bother them.

0:50:430:50:46

I suppose you can't get to there, can you, that particular spot?

0:50:460:50:50

I wonder what memories that old head holds.

0:50:500:50:53

Eh? The things you must have seen,

0:50:530:50:55

the whales and the dolphins and the basking sharks.

0:50:550:50:58

It's a really beautiful scene behind me there, look at that.

0:50:580:51:01

Isn't that lovely?

0:51:010:51:03

It's starting to rain a bit now, so I'm going to take shelter in Paddy's house.

0:51:030:51:07

Eh...hope he doesn't mind. Here we go.

0:51:070:51:11

That squall is about to... About to head in.

0:51:110:51:14

I'm crouched in the corner of Paddy's house.

0:51:140:51:17

The sea is absolutely thrashing out there,

0:51:170:51:21

as this front of rain moves forward.

0:51:210:51:25

Look... So I'm going to go back and dry out all my kit, dry out myself,

0:51:250:51:30

eat the mackerel, get a big old fire going.

0:51:300:51:33

There is the house. How spooky does that look?

0:51:330:51:38

OK, mackerel's nearly done. The potatoes are looking pretty good.

0:51:380:51:42

So it's a very simple meal of carbs and protein.

0:51:420:51:46

But it's a meal that summarises the essence of this island

0:51:460:51:49

and the essence of this part of the world,

0:51:490:51:51

with the fire going in the background,

0:51:510:51:54

eating mackerel and potatoes on Inishlacken Island.

0:51:540:51:57

Ah, but now it's time for bed, I'm a tired boy.

0:51:570:52:01

I slept really, really well last night. It was lovely, you know.

0:52:070:52:11

The peat fire slowly died down and I had my sleeping bag

0:52:110:52:15

and I sort of snuggled in.

0:52:150:52:17

It just lolls you off to sleep, it's quite sort of womb-like.

0:52:170:52:21

But this is not womb-like. Here we are, this is me today.

0:52:210:52:26

There we go, beautiful!

0:52:260:52:29

So that's what I've got to go out and forage in, but not yet.

0:52:290:52:34

In the winter, imagine - this is just October.

0:52:350:52:38

But January, February when the gales came in

0:52:380:52:41

the storms lashed the island and you couldn't fish, you couldn't get out,

0:52:410:52:45

boy, it must have been tough then.

0:52:450:52:47

It seems to have calmed down,

0:52:470:52:48

which is good news cos I'm about to go out and put my shrimp pots out.

0:52:480:52:52

So I'm going to walk out as far as I can

0:52:520:52:54

and stick the creels in and then see what I get. I wonder what I'll get.

0:52:540:53:01

I'll leave them here for now.

0:53:010:53:04

In a moment... By the way, look at that.

0:53:040:53:07

There's Roundstone. Quite a view.

0:53:070:53:10

So I'm going to go and get myself a bucket of limpets and of winkles

0:53:100:53:16

and...dog welts and all sorts of stuff,

0:53:160:53:20

take it back and see what I can do.

0:53:200:53:24

And I've also got some gut weed as well,

0:53:250:53:27

enteromorpha intestinalis, which can be very nice indeed.

0:53:270:53:30

What I'm going to do is just pop it in there and dry it,

0:53:300:53:33

and then I'm going to deep fry it.

0:53:330:53:35

And there we are, a meal fit for a king.

0:53:350:53:39

A very small king with no sense of taste.

0:53:390:53:43

It's food though, it's all protein. And here's the thing,

0:53:430:53:46

it's all checks and balances, isn't it,

0:53:460:53:49

because when I was out there, of course I was using energy,

0:53:490:53:52

charging around the rock pools, throwing in pots, things like that.

0:53:520:53:56

You've got to get that energy back. It's about converting protein,

0:53:560:54:00

so these bits of protein are going to hopefully redress the balance

0:54:000:54:04

of all the energy that I put out collecting it.

0:54:040:54:08

Again a microcosm of what life on the island might have been like back in the midst of time.

0:54:080:54:14

Mm, it's all right.

0:54:140:54:17

Well, I've finished. There it is.

0:54:170:54:22

And you may notice there is a discreet smear of tomato ketchup.

0:54:220:54:26

I disgraced myself, I let myself down and had a rummage in a cupboard

0:54:260:54:29

and found a very old bottle of tomato ketchup.

0:54:290:54:33

Oh, there it is. Shut the cupboard door!

0:54:330:54:35

I'm going to go and try and pull up my pots.

0:54:400:54:43

So I've got two shrimp pots out, prawn pots. There's the pots.

0:54:430:54:48

I've checked the shrimp pots and the most wonderful thing has happened.

0:54:480:54:53

It's a twist top to these pots.

0:54:530:54:55

And when Dennis gave me the pots he said,

0:54:550:54:58

"The one thing to watch out for is otters come along

0:54:580:55:00

"and twist them open and take your bait out."

0:55:000:55:03

And this pot right here, the one I've got right here,

0:55:030:55:06

has been twisted open and the bait's gone.

0:55:060:55:10

And I'll show you why it's unequivocally opened

0:55:100:55:13

as opposed to just falling open by the sea.

0:55:130:55:15

There's no way the sea is going to undo that.

0:55:150:55:18

The otters grab them with their little thieving paws,

0:55:180:55:23

give them a twist and then pull. They've learnt to do that.

0:55:230:55:28

And I think, quite frankly, that's the most fantastic thing

0:55:280:55:32

of the whole few days - that I've been laying out buffets for otters.

0:55:320:55:37

I'm really a bit hungry, I can feel my stomach's grumbling a bit.

0:55:370:55:41

I've only been here two days.

0:55:410:55:42

So imagine extending that over a whole year, you know,

0:55:420:55:47

or decades or your entire childhood.

0:55:470:55:51

You had to be tough, resourceful,

0:55:510:55:54

very strong and mentally resilient to live on an island like this.

0:55:540:55:58

And that probably says a great deal about Paddy.

0:55:580:56:01

One of the things I wanted to do while I was here

0:56:050:56:08

was, kind of, reflect on my time here.

0:56:080:56:10

Work wise it's been one of the most satisfying periods of my life.

0:56:100:56:15

There's absolutely no doubt about that.

0:56:150:56:17

Um... Just even the tiny little bits of knowledge

0:56:170:56:21

that I managed to pass on to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group,

0:56:210:56:25

and gradually getting to know that pod of dolphins

0:56:250:56:27

and getting that first tag into that basking shark in Connemara.

0:56:270:56:32

I can't tell you how great that felt.

0:56:320:56:35

Just tremendously exciting, tremendously exciting work.

0:56:350:56:38

So yeah, six months well spent.

0:56:380:56:41

I wonder if I'll spend a better six months in my whole life.

0:56:410:56:45

I'm just packing up the cottage after six months.

0:56:560:57:00

It's six months of accumulated memories, if you think about it.

0:57:000:57:03

That's one of the currach pins

0:57:030:57:06

that Paddy made for me for the Aran Sweater.

0:57:060:57:08

It's become one of Ruben's favourite toys.

0:57:080:57:11

You can see his teeth marks all over.

0:57:110:57:13

In leaving, I am not only turning my back on a lovely group of people in a beautiful place,

0:57:130:57:18

I'm also turning my back on the dolphins out there.

0:57:180:57:22

You know, all these tantalising questions that, if anything...

0:57:220:57:26

That's all I've done, raised lots of questions that need answers.

0:57:260:57:30

'So my girlfriend Tam and I are looking for a cottage to buy,

0:57:300:57:33

'so we can try and find some of those answers.'

0:57:330:57:37

I think the idea is to carry on the work here

0:57:370:57:40

and keep tagging the baskers,

0:57:400:57:42

keep taking photos of the dolphins, keep building that database,

0:57:420:57:46

and keep developing a relationship with a truly extraordinary place.

0:57:460:57:50

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