JULY 2023 · WATERLINE

Looe Island

South Cornwall, England

You get there by boat. The crossing takes a few minutes from the beach at East Looe and the island sits low and dark in the water — 22 acres of woodland and grassland, owned by the Wildlife Trust, managed for seabirds and grey seals and the various people who turn up to see them.

Diver in dry suit stands on boat with crew member, island visible across water — Kit already on before the crossing

— The crossing

It draws a specific crowd. Day visitors in summer clothes looking at the same view. Sheep grazing the slopes above the landing point, entirely unbothered, their territory established long before the visitor season. The island absorbs all of it. It has been doing this for a long time.

The island absorbs all of it.
Looe Island — July 2023

Rustic stone hut with blue door and shelter sign among scattered salvage art — Accumulated, not curated

— What the island holds

The seals haul on a rocky outcrop off the south end, visible from the coastal path as small dark shapes. Close enough to identify, far enough to observe without registering as a threat. One of them was simply lying with its head back, looking at nothing.

A stone hut near the landing area had a blue door and salvage art scattered around it — pieces of old machinery, painted stones, a hand-lettered sign. Not curated exactly; more accumulated. The kind of thing that builds up when the same people come back to the same place year after year.

Small rocky island in grey sea with seals hauling out on exposed rock — Close enough to watch, far enough to ignore

Herd of brown and cream sheep grazing on grassy slope overlooking calm sea — Territory established long before visitor season

— Stone hut, blue door

Someone was standing on the metal walkway over the water. The walkway extended out over grey water toward the beach.

Person jogging on metal walkway extending into grey water near beach — An actual jogger on a tidal walkway

— From the mainland

On the mainland beach, a yellow industrial vehicle sat on the shingle. A red fishing boat was moored in the turquoise water just off it, the town stacked behind. The island was visible across the bay — the dark outline of the trees, the low profile of the rock.

The seals were still there.