It's National Marine Week!
From the weird to the wonderful, the waters around Northern Ireland provide a home for an amazing array of marine life, a livelihood for many communities and give all of us a place for connection, inspiration, and respite. But worryingly, our seas and ocean are under many pressures from pollution, overfishing and climate change – risking the health of our water for future generations.
That’s why this National Marine Week(s) (July 24 – August 6) RSPB NI is celebrating and showcasing the marine life that surrounds Northern Ireland, as well as sharing the threats our iconic seabirds like the Puffin and Manx Shearwater are facing, and importantly how we are working to protect them.
Razorbill, credit Ben Andrew RSPB Images
For me, one of the most magical nature scenes in Northern Ireland is witnessing the thousands of seabirds nesting on Rathlin Island, from tiny Pufflings secure in their burrows, to the heart-wrenching moment witnessing the jumplings. Every summer we say goodbye to the Guillemots and Razorbill chicks as they leave their cosy nests for a life led mostly out at sea. Whilst some of the chicks are walked down to the shore by their parents, many face a high jump from the stacks, made all the more thrilling by the fact that these chicks have not yet learnt to fly! For those that successfully reach the bottom, they will reunite with their fathers who will look after them at sea until they are able to feed on their own.
Time is running out this season to witness the thousands of seabirds that are inhabiting Rathlin Island, as the Puffins can already be seen massing in preparation for their next adventure out at sea. Soon the Kittiwakes, Razorbills and Guillemots will all join them and we won’t see them back on the island until next summer – so make sure to get visiting over the next few weeks.
It's hard to imagine much life beneath the surface of our dark seas, but they support a truly spectacular diversity of life if you know where to look. in search of everything from mermaid’s purses, the piercing red eyes of the velvet swimming crab and the delicate limbs of brittle stars. We’re so lucky to have so much natural beauty right here on our doorsteps, but we need to work hard to protect it.
Puffins on Rathlin Island, Credit Hazel Watson
As the demand on our seas continues to grow, every one of us can play a part in ensuring we use them sustainably and in harmony with nature. If we can do this, then not only will they teem with wildlife, but also provide us with sustainability caught food and renewable energy, helping us tackle climate change, and be a source of health and wellbeing for future generations.
You can find out more about how RSPB NI is working to Save our Wild Isles here:www.saveourwildisles.org.uk and make sure to follow RSPB NI on social media and share your thoughts and photographs of marine life around Northern Ireland during National Marine Week.