Anyone fancy a swim?
OH I do like to be beside the seaside, and now the warm weather is approaching it is an even better time to get down to our coast.
Blackpool and Southport will be packed in the coming months with visitors just wanting some sun, paddling and lots of open sand to play on.
Over the past couple of years we have had reports of humpback whales, basking sharks, pods of 100 or more bottle-nosed dolphins, green turtles and grey seals swimming just off our coast.
It means the Irish Sea has a lot of creatures within its depths, but not as many as we would like here at the Wildlife Trusts. All year round we organise events that search the sea shores for signs of life and for signs of life that are dead. I get really excited these days when I find eggs, which I used to think were seaweed.
Shark, skate and ray eggs look similar but they tend to be tough, leathery pouches with strands on all four corners called ‘mermaids purses’.
Wherever you look you will find these eggs on the beach.
Once the babies are old enough they wriggle free from these egg cases. These cases are then washed up offering a glimpse of the rich sea life living just below the waves. These alienlooking, natural treasures are all unique and sometimes you can even find an egg case with a shark-shaped embryo still inside. It is astonishing to think there are more than 30 species of British sharks and over 16 species of skate and ray which have regularly been recorded in British waters.
Let’s concentrate on the nursehound shark or greater spotted dogfish. These are one of the commonest sharks in UK waters. It mooches around algae at the bottom of the North East Atlantic and can grow up to five feet long.
It has a sturdy body with round head and dorsal fins quite far back. It is covered in large spots but you won’t see one as they tend to hide in holes during the day and hunt at night. The egg cases also belong to thornback rays, with rows of fierce thorns running down their wings and tail, cuckoo rays, blonde rays and spotted rays.
It is possible to identify the exact species due to the size, shape and colour of the egg cases found on the beach and with a little bit of guidance you will soon become a mermaid purse expert.
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside, all lying north of the River Mersey. It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 local nature reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The trust has 29,000 members, and over 1,200 volunteers. To become a member of the trust, go to the website at www. lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust, call 01948 820728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust. org.uk.