Category: Marine Life articles

For local residents and the many visitors to The Lizard, the chance to see our seals swimming and diving, or hauled out on the rocks is one of the many wildlife delights. Seals are however very vulnerable to disturbance – you should always give them space and observe from a distance – use binoculars if…

Waters around the Lizard appear to be playing an important role in the recovery of an iconic crustacean from a population crash that threatened it with near-extinction in the 70’s and 80’s. Crawfish under a rock crevice. Credit: Natural England Crawfish are a warm water species that are at the northern limit of their distribution…

In celebration of World Oceans Day (8th June), marine ecologist Caz Waddell delves into the exciting world of rocky shores and uncovers the extraordinary lives of rockpool creatures. Kennack Sands. Photo Simon Lewis www.westcountryviews.co.uk Spend some time rockpooling on any shore around the Lizard and you will almost immediately discover a wealth of fascinating plants…

Late autumn on the Lizard coastline can be a wild time and, for grey seal mums, major life events are unfolding beneath steep cliffs edged by crashing waves. Hardy volunteers from Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust (CSGRT) brave the elements daily to protect our seals at this important time. Such intense research studies reveal fascinating…

In November 2013 I wrote an article for the Lizard website entitled “Marine life at The Manacles recommended for protection”. Now, over three years later, there are thirteen designated features of The Manacles Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) covering a diverse range of species and habitats, from the pink sea fan and sea fan anemone, to…

Ancient mariners, trade networks, ritual compulsion & a unique product revered through millennia before its final fading from use around the time St Keverne became a parish: part of the story I promised in an earlier episode of this Blog¹. Read on, if you must. On occasion it is interesting to run time backwards &…

Grey seal pups are an amazing wildlife spectacle around the Lizard peninsular at this time of year…as little and then big barrels of white fluffy fur with huge appealing eyes. But they need our help. They are only fed milk by their mothers for three critical weeks that determine their survival prospects.

Overview Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Seaquest Southwest Programme is taking action to conserve Cornwall’s enigmatic bottlenose dolphins by stepping up its research programme, joining forces with the Lizard Watch Point, and getting our local population on Britain’s wildlife map.   At the end of July, Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Seaquest Southwest Project came to the Lizard. The…

While walking toward the coast path from Lizard recently I got talking to a fascinating botanist who told me that the slope he was looking at was home to twelve different species of clover, if I remember correctly. He also pointed out some other plants, many of them rare and most of them with spectacular…

Have you ever eaten, drank or bathed in seaweed? You might not think so but the chances are you have done all three. Seaweed is surrounded by a stigma founded on that nauseous smell clouding every beach you visited in your childhood. What I hope to show you is that seaweed can be both beautiful…

The Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code Group are tackling the issue of marine and coastal wildlife disturbance county-wide, and are calling on the public to help us monitor and manage this important issue. This winter seems never ending. Rain and high winds have been forecasted once again for this weekend, and rather than do our…

In July 2015, while torching some rock pools at night east of Lizard Point, I noticed a crab that was unfamiliar, but also familiar. I secured a record shot with the help of Luke Marsh, which was essential for the next steps, and released the crab. As I started to research the identity its familiarity…

The submergence circa 10,000 years ago of the land the Helford River to form the Estuary or Ria if you were using the correct technical term, has created the most amazing habitat for marine fauna. These rocky reefs and the communities of marine life that have established over thousands of years are named as particular…

Last weekend I headed to Poldhu Cove to enjoy some sunshine and watch the surf. Having never been there the first thing I did upon arrival was head to the rocks to see what I could find, although being heavily pregnant with a toddler in tow precluded a proper nooks and crannies search of all…