Nothing Eclipses the Llŷn!

There was much anxiety here in Aberdaron about whether or not we would see the partial eclipse of the sun that took place at 9:30 this morning. The weather forecast was not encouraging and when we awoke there was a fair amount of sea mist.

However, as the time neared we had a sudden burst of sunshine and Peter produced his colander having been warned that he might lose his eyesight if he looked directly at the sun. 

You can just make out the arc of the sun around the shadow of the moon in each dot. It looked easier on the telly.

Just at 9:30 the sky began to cloud over and enabled Peter to photograph the sun directly.

As the moon passed over the sun there was a hush in the wildlife and the landscape had a twilight look about it. Another consequence of the alignment of the sun and moon was an exceptionally strong series of tides. 

Here we have a low tide from yesterday exposing the rocks at Porth y Swnt at the western end of Aberdaron beach. 

The high tide six and a half hours later made the place look like a completely different village. 

It is this tidal movement that keeps the beach so fresh and clean, and a haven for all sorts of wildlife. The very strongest tides will be tomorrow (on Saturday the 21st) when Peter plans to photograph the exposed shipwrecks on the north coast.