Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside

Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside

The Wildlife Trusts’ National Marine Week Saturday 24th July - Sunday 8th August.
Farne Isles lighthouse - Kevin O'Hara

Farne Isles lighthouse. Image by: Kevin O'Hara.

With foreign travel up in the air this year, ‘staycations’ mean more people than ever are set to discover the delights of the UK’s shores and coastal waters, as they visit the seaside for a summer break and celebrate all things watery.

So, whatever the weather and whatever the budget, the North East has a wonderful coastline to marvel at and there won’t be a red, green or amber list in sight.

Each year, the Wildlife Trusts’ National Marine Week, from Saturday 24th July - Sunday 8th August, celebrates the intriguing, weird and wonderful lives of shore dwellers and coastal citizens. From solar powered anemones, fish which dupe their rivals, and rockpool residents battling the elements, and sometimes each other.

In this region, Northumberland Wildlife Trust is asking people to celebrate the blue planet by making a one-minute rockpool or coastal movie and posting it on Instagram or Twitter using #NationalMarineWeek.

All entries submitted, will have the chance to be featured nationally by The Wildlife Trusts on social media and there is also the opportunity to win a prize.

So, film a fish, linger on a limpet, ride the waves - post your minute movie to celebrate the sea then sit back and relax.

Tompot blenny - Paul Naylor

Tompot blenny. Image by: Paul Naylor.

Duncan Hutt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Director of Conservation says: “Our seas are home to over half of all our wildlife, they provide oxygen for every other breath you take, and visiting the coast can improve mental and physical health. This is why it’s so important that more and better protection is given to the waters around our shores.

National Marine Week is a chance to celebrate our amazing seas, and I want people to get out and start to explore what lives in, on and around our region’s shores.

“The UK’s 11,073 miles of coastline, and one of our most endangered animals lives in the North Sea. The skate is now almost extinct in the UK and skate, which people can still buy in fish and chip shops, is actually imported from Iceland. For us it is so important that we use National Marine Week to encourage people to notice wildlife and put steps into place to preserve it!”

Checklist for the seaside: Bucket and spade, snorkel and mask, barefeet for the sand, beach shoes for rockpools. Tide timetables or local knowledge can prevent accidents - do your research in advance. Keep away from cliffs. Waterproofs and woollens are a must for a boat trip, no matter how optimistic the forecast!

Remember to follow the seashore code and handle all wildlife with care. When rockpooling, only keep one animal in a bucket at any one time and make sure to put everything back exactly where you found it. Watch out for spines, pincers and tentacles which may sting! Take your litter home, and check whether dogs are allowed on the beach.