What an excellent talk by Alex Scolefield at the Kingskerswell Natural History Society meeting yesterday. Her slides illustrated the amazing diversity of sealife to be found almost on our doorstep in Torbay. Among the many creatures was a Velvet Swimming Crab with its menacing red eyes, something to be wary of in the rock pools. A crab with attitude. Also shown were the sea anemones, worms and sea squirts, each in a way looking more like pretty flowers than the animals they really are.
Alex also told us of the educational work the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust does from the Seashore Centre at Goodrington. Pupils from local schools have the opportunity to explore the rockpools and discover the huge variety of life there. Hermit Crabs and Slipper Limpets and the story of a large pipefish dropped by a passing seagull which when rescued produced lots of tiny young. We heard about the importance of the sea grass beds around the bay and the two species of seahorse found here.
Sadly it seems that even some local children have never visited a beach to enjoy the natural world there. The Seashore Centre is a wonderful facility and it's there seven days a week and it's free. Well worth a trip to Goodrington.
What a shame that many people living near the sea just don't have a full appreciation of what's out there and how important it is and how it needs proper protection.