Devons Marine Life

If you enjoy the wonders of the natural world then this is the blog for you! Lets explore the weird and wonderful things that you could encounter beneath the picturesque waves this summer.

SEALS:
Starting with what I imagine will be everyone’s favorite, the Seals. The UK has become something of a stronghold for these pups of the ocean with over 40% of the world’s population calling this Island home. The most common and the larger of the two species is the Grey Seal, these seals spend most of their time out at sea catching fish and then can often be seen sponged out on British beaches (particularly in the southwest) waiting for their food to go down before they slither off into the sea once again.
The other species of seal that is found in the UK is Harbour Seals or Common Seals and despite their name are less abundant than the grey seal. The common seal is easily recognizable with its dog-like face. These amazing animals can mainly be found in sheltered shores and estuaries like Westward Ho. Like the Grey Seal they eat fish, but they will also go for things like squid. You will see them lounged out on sand banks normally laying in a banana shape with their head and tail both in the air.

DOLPHINS
Dolphins are fascinating animals that are also incredibly intelligent. The most common dolphin in British waters is the Short Beaked Common Dolphins or common dolphin for short. Primarily dolphins are an offshore species and can be hard to see when not on a boat however, they will come closer to land to feed. They are highly social animals and will nearly always be found in groups. They usually bound together as a team and use their intelligence to round their prey into a ball.
Another of the three main dolphin species is the Bottlenose Dolphin. The Bottlenose Dolphins found in the United Kingdom are the largest in the world which helps them deal with the colder waters. These dolphins are also highly social, normally traveling with up to 15 other dolphins. Your best chance to see these guys is via boat as they love to bowride (surf the waves of the boat wake). This is the Common Dolphin these guys love to eat fish and will hunt them in the same way, rounding them up into a ball.
Risso Dolphins or Grey Dolphins will be much harder to find and are often found in much deeper water. These dolphins are known for their grey colour with scratches and scars along their bodies, this is believed to be due to fighting and hunting prey. These dolphins are also known for slapping their tales against the water creating a massive splash.

FISH
Devon and Cornwall is home to many fish but there are some truly fascinating things. The first fish we will look at is the seahorse. In Devon and Cornwall, you will find the Spiny Seahorse, or as it's also known The Long-Snouted Seahorse. This amazing fish lives in shallow waters and is a poor swimmer. These animals do not have teeth and just suck up small bits of plankton and shrimp whilst using their tales to cling onto small bits of seaweed or seagrass. Whilst not the conventional fish shape the seahorse is a fish and is related to the pipe fish and sea dragons.
Another of the fish that live in our waters is the Ballan Wrasse this absolute monster of a fish can reach up to 60cm long and looks like it belongs in reefs with its fun array of colours. These fish have incredibly strong teeth that they use for mollusks and barnacles off rocks before extra teeth at the back of their throat crush the shells and finish the job. An interesting fact about these fish is that they all start their lives as females and the dominant fish will become males later in life.

Sharks
This is the one that everyone dreads. The UK is home to a surprising number of sharks, and we will look at some of the more interesting. We will start with the Small Spotted Catshark; this shark gets its name due to the dark spots that cover its skin. All sharks have incredibly rough skin made from ‘dermal denticles’ which means tiny teeth skin and if you rub it the wrong way then you would get a very rough sandpaper feeling. Catfish are sharks that tend to go for smaller prey like crabs and small fish. Another name for this shark is rough hound.
Another amazing breed of shark that can be found in our waters in the summertime is the Blue Shark. This shark does not live here all year round but comes to visit from the Caribbean. Blue Sharks are active predators that normally target smaller fish but have also been known to go for sea birds and other smaller sharks. The largest one ever caught in England was 116 kg and measured over 9ft. That’s only 2 feet smaller than a Nissan Micra.
It is important to remember that sharks found in the UK are not out to get you and the chances of an attack by one of these guys is roughly one in four million. This means you are more likely to be struck by lightning.