Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
SPOILER ALERT! Do not read if you haven't watched BBC's Wild Isles - Marine - yet
This week’s episode took us from the most southernly point of the United Kingdom to the furthest North. Across the United Kingdom and Ireland, our coastline spans 22,000 miles with none of us living more than 70 miles away from the sea. Yet how many of us have ever wondered or had the fortune to see the wonders below the waves? From territorial Grey Seals and playful Otters to the fluffy chicks of Manx Shearwater embarking on their first solo flight, once again this episode had it all.
A blubbering mess
Was anyone else on the edge of their seat as we watched the Grey Seal pups trying their very best to navigate away from the strong and very heavy males that came ashore to mate? The largest males, weighing 350kg and measuring around 3m, were competing for a position within the groups of breeding females. This resulted in quite an almighty battle between two males in particular, with the poor pups trying to avoid being crushed under their weight. Not what most youngsters have to contend with at just a few days old. Grey Seals are the rarest in the world and 40% of the population depends on the seas around the UK and Ireland, with Wales an important stronghold. The pupping season for Grey Seals starts as early as September in Wales, with the Pembrokeshire coast being the best place to catch a glimpse. Numbers here are currently holding well but they are ever at risk from human activity and plastic pollution.
Back from the brink
The marine episode also gave us an insight into the delightful and playful behaviour of Otters, often associated with our rivers rather than our seas. We saw how they steered their way through the cold northern waters looking for prey, diving to depths of up to ten metres and holding their breath for around 90 seconds at a time. I couldn’t help but smile at watching a cub feasting on its lunch of eelpout like a toddler with a new toy! Not too long ago, in the 1950’s, Otters were on the brink of extinction in the UK because of habitat destruction, hunting and chemicals leaking into watercourses. Since then, they have been given their current protection under law, the chemicals have been banned, improving water quality, and numbers have stabilised. However, pollution of our seas remains one of their biggest threats. If you want to see these amusing creatures in the wild, why not pop along to our Ynys-Hir reserve.
Wales’ best kept secret
The Manx Shearwater. The coast of Britain and Ireland host almost their entire global population, with Wales holding over 50%. It was hard not to be inspired by these magical seabirds, especially as we watched the fluffy, unsteady chicks gear up to take their first solo flight. And not any solo flight. No, this wasn’t a test flight from one cliff face to another, this was a perilous and arduous journey from the Welsh coast to South America, almost 6000km away. Imagine doing that before you even got your ‘L’ plates! The Manx Shearwater are small with long, straight slim wings, with black above and white below. They fly with a series of rapid stiff-winged flaps followed by long glides on stiff straight wings over the surface of the sea, occasionally 'shearing', hence their name. They can be seen now in their full glory at our RSPB Ramsey Island, where they will stay until July before migrating back to South America to spend the Winter. Predators and pollution remain their biggest threats, which is why we do our utmost to keep Ramsey Island rat-free through robust biosecurity measures.