The warmer sea temperature and the arrival of the gulf steam stimulate breeding in many of our resident species, from basking sharks to shrimps now is the time for raising young. Typical summer finds for us include the sea mouse , cuttlefish remains and eggs and the sea lemon pictured below.






If you run a net through the sand and water of the fylde beaches you will often catch brown shrimps, sea gooseberries and small flatfish such as dabs and flounders and the occasional prawn. As the summer heats up you might come accross the pipefishes, cuttlefish, green leaf worms, and all sorts of interesting beasties and plants. We often find greater pipefish in the water around july/august we caught this one last year.

Finding living and young of a species is important as it tells us that it is a resident of our waters and breeds here. This can't be assumed about the species we find on the strandline dead as currents could have brought these in from many miles away.

Water currents also bring some of our most charismatic vagrant species. The lions mane jellyfish, and the leatherback turtle all appear on the fylde coast at this time. The turtles come in chasing jellyfish swarms .

It’s a great time for finding new things on the beaches, look out for eggs, live animals, and new things on the strandline.

Happy rummaging   Kathryn