Make sure you check the tide timetable,
http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/
If high tide goes over 5.5 Meters it will breach the sandbar and you'll be cutoff, if it goes significantly over 6 Meters, the sandbar will be breached and you'll be underwater, roughly 1/2 a mile away from the shore. If a high tide is due, I set the alarm on my iphone to go off to remind me an hour before, so I can make my way back.
If high tide is to be less than 5.5 Meters, you can stay out all day.
I'd also seriously avoid going on the end of November. The 21st, 22nd, 28th and 29th will be
absolutley heaving with people, it just ruins the whole experience, I'd recommend going in the next couple of weeks into early November, some of the UK's best wildlife photographers go much much earlier
General advice:
1.> Approach seals slowly and at their level, - yes that means crawling in the sand, do not get too close as to cause distress, back off slowly if so.
2.> You may encounter parts of the Colony several hundred strong, do not simply walk up to them, as the entire colony will stampede for the sea - pups can die in the crush i've seen it happen.
3.> Get there mega mega early, if you do end up going at the end of November, i'd be there for 5am, as the carpark is stuffed by 6.
Also, watch out for the "Donna Nook surveillance crew" who are basically self appointed people who are gutted about the amount of people who go each year, and are trying very hard to get it closed down to the public because they no longer have it to themselves.
As a result they spend most of their time simply taking pictures of people "doing wrong" and posting them on the internet to aid their cause, when most of the time no harm is being done - but they love making a fuss.
If you do get close to a pup and take some pictures, don't be suprised if you see a load of 500-600mm lenses pointing straight at you, and don't say you weren't warned - cause it happened to me last year!
