Prepare to get Your Feet Wet!
Probably the best thing about living in Swansea is the wonderful coastline we have right on our doorstep. A trip to the beach at low tide can be great fun for both children and adults, and with free guided tours taking place throughout the summer led by marine biologist Judith Oakley, there really is no excuse not to get your feet wet.
There were around 30 people on the Seashore Safari I attended at Bracelet Bay – half and half, adults and children – and everyone was made to feel welcome.
Buckets and big magnifying glasses are provided, so there’s no need to bring anything with you.
Bracelet Bay at low tide is a rocky seaweed-strewn landscape, pock-marked with nature’s potholes: the rock pools and gullies that numerous sea creatures call home.
Judith pointed out various types of seaweed, including the one used to make laver bread, plus Irish moss, used to thicken ice cream (E407, agar or caragheen on the label).
We also learnt that if it were not for limpets – the ‘rabbits of the sea’ – munching on sea lettuce seaweed, the rocks of Bracelet Bay would be entirely smothered with the stuff.
Various types of crab, prawns, starfish, anemones, and small fish – goby and butterfish – can be found at the low water mark, all trying to either eat or mate with each other, though possibly not at the same time. Rock pools, it seems, are veritable hotbeds of sex and violence!
In an age where a worrying number of children are so detached from nature that some seem to think potatoes grow on trees, cows lay eggs, and fish are finger-shaped, it’s good to know that the opportunity exists for anyone of any age to enjoy free guided tours of South Wales’ rich coastal environment.
