All washed up along the strand

Sarah Ward

Marine Conservation Officer 

At this time of year we find all sorts of things washed up on the beach – this is usually due to stormy weather dislodging animals and seaweeds from their underwater habitats. The extra energy the sea has carries these things, and eventually they get washed up.

The strandline is therefore a great place to look for things the sea has washed up. This is a line of debris, usually mostly seaweed, which marks the last high tide mark, where the sea lost its energy and deposited the bits it was moving. Sometimes there can be multiple strandlines on the same beach.

Whilst it’s normal to find shells and seaweeds (and litter, sadly), sometimes we find animals, which can be alarming. After storms, it’s not unusual to find things like Crabs, Starfish, Sea Squirts and Sea Anemones washed up. Although no one likes to see (or smell!) dead wildlife, this is a natural process and other wildlife like gulls will enjoy a ‘ready meal’ out of it.

In some cases, it can be worth trying to rescue things that have been washed up, if it is a mobile species and still alive. However, many animals that become washed up need to be attached to the bedrock (eg. sponges, Sea Squirts), so putting them back in the water is unlikely to help as they’ll just end up getting washed back up on the beach again.

If you ever do find wildlife on the beach that needs rescue, remember to be cautious, act within your reasonable limits, and call for help if required. Small animals should be handled with care (never pick up jellyfish with bare hands!) and you should wash your hands after touching anything. Larger animals, such as Dolphins or Seals, should be reported to the relevant body – you can read further information on this on our website.