Shelli's blog: Ards Peninsula

Yesterday we took a bus down the Ards Peninsula. We have been told how beautiful it was and it most certainly is. The sad part is fro the first time my pictures leave a lot to be desired. Reason one - the bus windows were dirty, reason two - we were going 50 miles an hour on a bumpy winding road. So I will share some of the better dirty, with reflection, zooming by supper fast pictures. lol

Newtownards

Lies at the top of the Strangford Lough. It is a larger town, but not nearly the size of Belfast. On the hill over looking the city you can see the Scrabo Tower. "The tower is 41 metres high, and was erected as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, in recognition of his concern for the plight of his tenants during the great potato famine."

roundabout in Newtownards

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Scrabo Tower

Strangford Lough

"The Strangford Lough is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, North Ireland. It is seperated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The island studded sea lough is the largest inlet in the British Isles, covering 150 km². Almost totally landlocked, the lough is approached from the Irish Sea through the eight kilometre long fast-running tidal narrows, which open out into more gentle waters where there are 70 islands. Countless tidal rocky outcrops called pladdies litter the lough and mudflats, along with marshes, rocks, bays and headlands."

It was low tide on the trip down so there were lots of mud flats.

road along the Lough

Ballywalter

Ballywalter Presbyterian Church

Irish Sea

Ivy covered house

farm fields

Portaferry

Our destination was the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry. It is a small aquarium, but nicely laid out. Our favorite part was the touch tank. We were able to touch and pet some very cool sea animals. To our amazement two dogfish sharks were like a puppies. They would swim towards people around the tank wanting you to pet them. They are little about a foot long and maybe 3 inches in diameter, but they swim towards you like a snake in the water head just above the surface of the water, with their mouth wide open. They could bite so you had to be careful not to get near their teeth. It was funny to see they eagerly sneak up on people. We also got to touch a ray they are really rough like velcro loops. Holding a starfish was also neat they need to be held very carefully so they don't feel threatened and drop a leg. The leg will grow back but it was better not to cause that to happen.

Ray

Dogfish Shark

Starfish

The aquarium also rehabilitates seals. Their is lots of opportunities for them to be hurt with all the ship traffic around Ireland. This little guy was quiet intrigued with the kids.

Portaferry Castle is not much to see most of what remains standing is the tower. It was probably built in the 1600's for the Savage family. In WWII it was used by the RAF air sea rescue unit.