National Marine Week event

The Safari was out on the beach for an hour with a few other beachcombers for the second of our National Marine Week events. This time we were under the pier in the central part of the beach - a place we very rarely venture to.

Plenty of Barnacle encrusted Mussels are growing on the pier legs, great formation on this one...we were hoping to find Cuttlefish eggs by rummaging around under here.

Some of the rubbish swept in on the tides has been there a long time as shown by the large Mussels growing on this lost fishing net. Must be the most colourful rubbish we've ever seen!
A decent selection of shells despite the tide sweeping the beach fairly clean of unbroken ones.

1. a selection of Telins 2. the appropriately named Tower Shell 3. the smaller Razor Shells 4. Striped Venus shells 5. Banded Wedge shells 6. Rayed Trough shells that have lost their rays and look like they could be something else - sneaky! 7. Common (left) and Prickly (right) Cockles.

The tiny hole is evidence of predation by one of the species of Necklace shells.

After our recent seaweed masterclass ;) we have another one for you - this one grows as an epiphyte on the stipe of others

It has a well branched, feathery form

Not many bits of broken crab were found so we must have been quite lucky to find a dead but complete Pennant's Swimming Crab especially as there were a stack of gulls on the beach looking for bits and pieces to scoff.

And once again we found, we reckon it's ubiquitous, the one and only Speckled Sea Louse...but no Iphinoe or Idotea for you...maybe next week.

Immediately after the event we got a call that a seal was on the beach - a rare event - and might be struggling. We went to investigate and found a juvenile Common Seal surrounded by people and dogs but really unwilling to go back in the water.

Doesn't look at all well and is very thin...well it has swum from either the west coast of Scotland or Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland - the nearest breeding colonies.

A call to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue had them arrive as soon as the tide started to drop and the poor wee mite has been taken into care in Scarborough...the nearest seal sanctuary. Hopefully after receiving excellent care there it'll make a full recovery and be released back in to the Irish Sea.

Where to next? National Whale and Dolphin watch starts tomorrow (2pm at the Mirror Ball if you can join us) so be prepared for tales of lashing rain and mountainous seas...the weather always turns against us for that event!

In the meantime let us know what's needed to be rescued from your outback.