Puffin numbers on Skomer soar in 2023
Our island team have welcomed the return of the ‘clowns of the sea’ to Skomer and Skokholm islands, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, where populations are soaring.
Our island team have welcomed the return of the ‘clowns of the sea’ to Skomer and Skokholm islands, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, where populations are soaring.
These globe-spanning seabirds can often be seen offshore in autumn, shearing low over the waves.
This little fish is found in rockpools during the summer months and has a clever adaptation that stops it being swept away by strong waves - their pelvic fins are fused to form a sucker that it…
The sanderling scampers about the waves looking for marine crustaceans, fish and even jellyfish to eat. It visits the UK in winter from its Arctic breeding grounds, but can also be seen as it…
Have you ever seen the curious face of a grey seal bobbing in the waves when visiting the beach? Grey seals can be seen lying on beaches waiting for their food to go down. Sometimes they are…
There's another world waiting beneath the waves. Seals weave in and out of sunlit kelp forests, cuttlefish flash all the colours of the rainbow, starfish graze along the muddy seabed and…
If you spot a crawling shell next time you're at the seaside, take a closer look… it might be a hermit crab!
These moths can be seen flying on sunny days, but you're more likely to spot the fuzzy caterpillars crawling over paths.
This crab is common around all of the UK. If you've ever been rockpooling or crabbing, it's probably the shore crab that you've met.
This secretive bird is a member of the rail family, related to coots and moorhens. The breeding call, a rasping rattle, is given mostly at night, sometimes for hours on end.
The moon jelly is the most common jellyfish in UK seas, often washing up on our beaches. No need to worry though - it doesn't sting humans.
The Purple hairstreak is an elusive butterfly with a brilliant purple sheen. It is entirely reliant on oak trees and can be spotted chasing around the treetops in woodlands and parks.