CONKER NATURE MAGAZINE | SUMMER | THE MARINE ISSUE: JULY / AUGUST 2023 | VOL XXV ISSUE I

SUMMER

2023

VOL XXV ISSUE I

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SCOTT

ISH PR OJEC GETS 3.2M TS FUND ING

PLUS

whale shark: monk in the sea

New perspectives marine drifters dive in

MARINE WILD WITH MARINE WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER EVIE HALL

Inside cover: Photographer: Rosie Baillie Instagram: @anaturevoyage WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

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Editor-in-chief Lucy Morris Sally Marie Rosie Jones Tobias James Kararaina Bishara Darren Wynne Heather Wilkins Laura Woolley Isabelle Price Laszlo Balogh

Executive Editor Wildlife Editor Digital Editor Features Editor Photo/Sub Editor Photo Assistant Travel Editor Advertisement Director Editorial Assistant Logo Illustrator

Contributors Scott Duffield, Viacheslav Kantov, Chikanele Igweoji, Evie Hall, Elizabeth Lee Reynolds, Madhumay Mallik, Charan Kumar Paidi, Nasser Al-Khanjari, Rosie Baillie,

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@conkernaturemagazine @conkernaturemagazine @conkernaturemag www.conkernature.com @conkernature Info@conkernature.com Conker Nature, PO Box 9661, United Kingdom, BH1 9LY

Conker Nature Magazine takes pride in ethical wildlife photography that prioritises the safety and welfare of wildlife and their environment. Conker Nature Magazine is committed to the correct representation of the natural world, away from the manipulation of media, and total honesty in our captioning. Photographers, please support us in providing all relevant information around the circumstance of the image and giving total clarity of where the image was taken (to include, but not just restricted to, use of bait, captivity or habituated animals).

Conker Nature Magazine will provide trusted, independent travel, wildlife, and gardening advice and information. Our aim is to allow access to (including, but not limited to, clothing, travel, accessories, tools and books) for a range of backgrounds and budgets. Within our travel sector, we are clear with the positives and negatives of a location we visit or recommend. The views that are expressed within Conker Nature Magazine are entirely the views of the authors, and not necessarily the views of the magazine, editorial team, or publisher. The editor-in-chief, the publisher, the contributors or the editorial team accepts no responsibility for advertisement errors, mistakes, omissions, or issues in any such advertisement feature.

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PUBLISHED BY SWANKY GROUP PUBLICATIONS, DIRECTORS SALLY MARIE, DARREN WYNNE, TOBIAS JAMES, LUCY JANE MORRIS © Conker Nature Magazine 2023

WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS 08

WILD OBSERVER LATEST STORIES AND NEWS IN THIS MONTH'S WILD OBSERVER FEATURE WE COVER MARINE SPECIES THAT YOU MIGHT NEVER HAVE THOUGHT LIVED IN THE UK, THE LATEST NEWS OF THREE NEW SPECIES IN AUSTRALIA, AND A REPORT ON THE NEWEST UPDATE ON AVIAN FLU IN SCOTTISH BIRDS OF PREY.

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BEHIND-THE-COVER WITH EVIE HALL FOR THIS MONTH'S BEHIND-THECOVER FEATURE, WE ARE JOINED

BY AUSTRALIAN BASED MARINE PHOTOGRAPHER, EVIE HALL. PHOTOGRAPHER: EVIE HALL: INSTAGRAM: @EVIEWILDERNESS WEBSITE: EVIEHALLPT. MYPORTFOLIO.COM

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PHYTOPLANKTON PLANET ALTHOUGH MICROSCOPIC IN SIZE, THESE ORGANISMS CALLED PLANKTON PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN MARINE ECOSYSTEMS. WORDS BY CHIKANELE CASANDRA

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THE MARINE SPECIALISTS DISCOVER MARINE SPECIALISTS PHOTOGRAPHER: SCOTT DUFFIELD INSTAGRAM: @SCOTT.DUFFIELD. PHOTOGRAPHY FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ SCOTT.DUFFIELD.PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE: WWW.SCOTTDUFFIELDPHOTOGRAPHY. PIXISET.COM

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Humpback whale Page 68

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MAJESTIC WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLE DISCOVER BRITAIN'S LARGEST BIRD OF PREY.

DIVE IN EXPLORE THE LIVES OF SIX SPECTACULAR SEABIRDS ALONG THE UK COASTLINE. WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ROSIE BAILLIE INSTAGRAM: @ANATUREVOYAGE YOUTUBE: @ROSIEOUTDOORS

PHOTOGRAPHER: SCOTT DUFFIELD INSTAGRAM: @SCOTT.DUFFIELD.PHOTOGRAPHY FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SCOTT.DUFFIELD.PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE: WWW.SCOTTDUFFIELDPHOTOGRAPHY.PIXISET.COM

WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

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July / August 2023

60

PUFFINS

68

THE HUMPBACK WHALE OF KOLA

PHOTOGRAPHER: SCOTT DUFFIELD INSTAGRAM: @SCOTT.DUFFIELD.PHOTOGRAPHY FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SCOTT.DUFFIELD. PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE: WWW.SCOTTDUFFIELDPHOTOGRAPHY. PIXISET.COM

NEAR THE COAST OF KOLA PENINSULA, STAYING FOR THE WARMER WATERS PHOTOGRAPHER: VIACHESLAV KANTOV INSTAGRAM: @SLAAVICH_KAN

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NEW PERSPECTIVES WORDS BY: ELIZABETH REYNOLDS INSTAGRAM: @LIZZIEELEER TWITTER: @LIZZIEELR LOCATION: CÂR-Y-MÔR INSTAGRAM: @CAR_Y_MOR TWITTER: @ CAR_Y_MOR LINKEDIN: CÂR-Y-MÔR WORK SUPPORT: CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL PARKS INSTAGRAM: @CAMPAIGN4PARKSCAMPAIGN4PARKS

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SCOTTISH 45 PROJECT FUNDING

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WHALE SHARK - THE MONK IN THE SEA

A TRAILBLAZING MARINE ENVIRONMENT FUND – DESIGNED TO HELP ENSURE SCOTLAND’S COASTS AND SEAS ARE HEALTHY, PRODUCTIVE AND NATURERICH – IS ALREADY HAVING A GREAT IMPACT, AFTER ITS FIRST TWO YEARS SAW OVER £3.2M IN FUNDING DISTRIBUTED TO 45 PROJECTS.

CÂR-Y-MÔR SEAWEED FARM Page 68

YOU CAN PURCHASE OUR PRINT & DIGITAL IS SUES VIA SHOPIFY

WORDS BY: MADHUMAY MALLIK INSTAGRAM: @DANDELION.DIARIES TWITTER: @MADMYST619 FACEBOOK: MADHUMAY.MALLIK PHOTOGRAPHER:CHARAN KUMAR PAIDI INSTAGRAM: @CHARAN_WHALE_SHARK PHOTOGRAPHER: NASSER KHANJARY INSTAGRAM: @NKHANJARY @OMANTASCUBA

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WILD WONDERS + YOUR LETTERS DISCOVER THIS MONTH'S WILD SHOW WATCH OUTS, WILD BOOK ROUND UP AND THE CONKER NATURE NATURAL WORLD BOOK OF THE MONTH. ALSO, SEE YOUR LETTERS YOU HAVE SENT INTO US FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.

WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

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Editor’s Letter

July / August 2023

Photo by Ifish Photography

It is a delight to bring you an issue that many of us have been waiting for, marking a very special occasion in the British wildlife calendar - National Marine Week.

National Marine Week is The Wildlife Trusts' annual, nationwide celebration of all things marine. In saying that, it has become so popular on social media, thanks to The Wildlife Trust, that is has become a thing many people enjoy doing regardless if it is the The Wildlife Trust or something of their own to celebrate - that's why here at Conker Nature Magazine will be celebrating National Marine Week, bringing you education and conservation stories straight to your fingertips. Make sure to join us over on our website on the 22nd of July - 6th August 2023 with The Wildlife Trust!

JEWELLERY BOX: 9CT GOLD 5MM ROUND CLAW AQUAMARINE CZ NECKLACE -£73

THE COASTAL LIFESTYLE COMPANY: PICNIC COOLER BACKPACK - £46

Lucy Morris Editor-in-chief

TOP DRAWER: OCEAN CANVAS SHOPPER - £15

TXMAXX MEN - BLUE SHORTS - £12.99

Our marine habitats are vitally important providing shelter for amazing biodiversity, providing food for billions of people across the planet and income for millions worldwide - and there is more. Thanks to phytoplankton (you can read more on this on page 30), the sea produced around half of the oxygen we breathe during our lifetimes. However, much like many habitats our seas are in trouble. The total amount of vertebrate sea life (including fish) has reduced by more than a third since 1970! You can read more on this over on our website at www.conkernature.com In this issue, we are joined by marine photographer of this month’s behind-the-cover interview, Evie Hall. Discover Evie's story from the start and her experience getting the front cover shot. Read more on Evie's work on page 19.

In this month’s Wild Observer feature, we cover the fascinating facts of marine species that you might never have thought lived in Britain, the latest news of three new marine species discovered in Australia, and finally, a report has been published on the newest update on Avian flu in Scottish birds of prey. Read more on our Wild Observer stories on pages 8 to 17.

To wrap up, the Conker Nature Magazine team looks forward to seeing you next time with a UK seasonal special issue - autumnal behaviours. In this issue, we will be covering why leaves change colour and what is the behaviour behind the deer rut.

FATFACE X MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY: WAVE BIKINI BOTTOM SS23 - £25

Until next time!

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THE NAUTICAL COMPANY: WOMEN'S YELLOW WATERPROOF - £76

EBBFLOWCORNWALL TIDES CHANGING ROBES - £54

DISCOVER BRITISH MARINE WILDLIFE ON NATIONAL MARINE WEEK 22ND JULY - 6TH AUGUST 2023

AT WWW.CONKERNATURE.COM Photo by Ifish Photography

WILD OBSERVER WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW

THE FOREST FLOOR The weasel (Mustela nivalis) is a species that is constantly active, always on the scout for food. In fact, weasels can eat up to a third of their body weight on a daily basis. They live in many habitats such as woodland, grassland, farmlands and hedgerows.

Weasels have chestnut-brown fur that has white cream underparts and a long, and slender body that ends in a brown and short tail.

This species is often confused with that of the stoat. The stoat is a larger species and has a much longer tail that ends in a black and bushy tip - whereas the weasel’s tail is brown all over.

Weasel are a solitary species and only come together to mate. They have a litter of around about four to six young (these are known as kits) that are born between April to August time. Interestingly, the kits are nurtured and raised in a nest or den that has been taken over from the adult’s weasle’s rodent prey.

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WILD OBSERVER WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THE TURNING TIDES Image: Rawlison Photography

Many people see our UK seas as drastically different to

those seas abroad - it is little less known that our UK seas actually attract a wealth of biodiverse and weird marine life.

Surprisingly, our seas hosts various species from dazzling corals to sparkling sea slugs, our British seas are much more tropical than we often think.

Seahorses are often thought of as warm water dwellers and whilst that is mostly true, there are two species of seahorse that can be found in the UK: the Long Snouted Seahorse (also know as the spiny seahorse for its charactistic spines running down the body) and the Short Snouted seahorse.

It won’t come at a surprise that the only main and physical difference between these two species is the length of their snout - However, it is not entirely certain why the two branched off in evolutionary divergence. These seahorses have populations all across the UK - they have even been recorded in the Thames river in London! This species tends to stick to shallower waters, where they can use their tails like a hook and anchor to keep them clinging onto the seagrass.

When you think of leatherback turtles, exotic beaches such as those found in Australia are the first thought that comes to mind. However, they do reside in the UK from time to time, as the UK occasionally has years where jellyfish abundance is high - meaning plenty of food for these giant turtles. The leatherback makes the arduous journey across the Atlantic ocean, by following the Gulf Stream that ends up in the southwest of Britain, bringing them to Cornwall, Devon, and south Wales. Interestingly, Wales holds the world record for the largest marine turtle to ever be discovered - a leatherback

marine turtle to ever be discovered - a leatherback was found on Welsh shores, measuring 2.5 metres long. 2.5 metres from flipper to flipper and weighed in over 900kgs (which is about the same weight as a small car!)

Not many people know that we have a range of coldwater coral species in the UK - and they are just as vital as coral species in the tropics as all species depend on the survival of corals to thrive. One of these corals in the UK is one known as the pink sea-fan coral, this coral is soft and grows at an extremely slow pace. However, the pink sea-fan coral can live up to 50 years - but due to climate change resulting in changes to sea water temperatures, this coral could head for a decline like many coral species across the world currently.

The final species that graces our water is one known as the Angel Shark. The Angel Shark is one of the rarest sharks on Earth and is critically endangered. These are ‘flat sharks’ and they do extremely well in camouflaging themselves against predators. This shark can be found lying in wait to feed on smaller fish and molluscs species.

The thought by scientists at the present time is the shark is clinging onto and around the waters of the Canary Islands - the fact we are currently seeing them in British waters is a good sign that offers and glimmer of hope for their survival.

Right now we need to put more pressure on our government to protect our seas - WWF is a leading conservation charity battling the frontlines of this - and needs your help.

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WILD OBSERVER - THE DEEP DIVE FORM A DESK

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IVE FROM A D A DE SE P SK E E D Queensland Museum Network Sessile Marine Invertebrate Researcher, Dr Merrick Ekins has described three new species of carnivorous sponges collected two kilometres below the surface on the Great Barrier Reef.

Words by Queensland Museum Network Covered by Victoria King Abyssocladia falkor sp. nov, Abyssocladia jeanvaceleti sp. nov.

Axoniderma wanda sp. nov.

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WILD OBSERVER - THE DEEP DIVE FORM A DESK

Queensland Museum Network Sessile Marine Invertebrate

Researcher, Dr Merrick Ekins has described three new species of carnivorous sponges collected two kilometres below the surface on the Great Barrier Reef.

Queensland Museum Network CEO Dr Jim Thompson said more is known about the surface of Mars than the deep oceans.

Dr Merrick Ekins said the finding during 2020 was surrel: “It was surreal to be sitting at my desk at the museum during 2020 and directing remote operated vehicle pilots to collect specimens, which appeared to be new species”

“There is still much to learn about our deep oceans and being part of global research projects only enhances our knowledge. The ability for our scientists to be involved in research projects such as this is testament to the depth and breadth of expertise of the Queensland Museum Network team. Our collaborative approach to research for the benefit of the scientific community.” Dr Thompson said.

The sponges were collected as part of the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor in September 2020, which sent a ROV 1,820 metres below the surface to explore the deep reefs of the Great Barrier Reef.

The 2020 dives were livestreamed and are available to view here: https://www.youtube.com/user/SchmidtOceanVideos/videos The new paper was published recently in Zootaxa - https://doi. org/10.11646/zootaxa.5293.3.2

“The Schmidt Ocean Institute voyage ‘Seamounts, Canyons & Reefs of the Coral Sea Cruise’ was in 2020 and there was a lot of uncertainty with regards to travelling during the COVID pandemic.

It was thrilling to still be part of this expedition remotely.”

Abyssocladia falkor sp. nov. is named in honour of the research vessel that enabled the discovery of these species…this is the Schmidt Ocean Institutes flag ship.

Dr Ekins scientifically described one of the species Abyssocladia falkor in honour of the research vessel and a second Abyssocladia jeanvaceleti in honour of the scientist who first described carnivorous sponges.

While for the third he had a bit of fun and named it Axoniderma wanda in honour of the alien wanderer/wanda that parasitises the host Melanie Stryder in the movie and novel, The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

MEET THE SPONGES

Abyssocladia jeanvaceleti sp. nov. named in honour of the scientist who first discovered carnivorous sponges and has described many species from the Pacific and elsewhere Axoniderma wanda sp. nov. This species is named for its resemblance to the alien wanderer/wanda that parasitises the host Melanie Stryder, played by actress Saoirse Ronan from the movie and novel by the same name i.e. “the Host”, authored by Stephenie Meyer.

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AVIAN FLU IMPACTS BREEDING SUCCESS

OF SCOTTISH BIRDS OF PREY The breeding success of a number or bird of prey species, particularly eagles, may have been impacted by avian flu, according to a report published by NatureScot today.

Words by: NatureScot Edited by: Chloe Taylor Photos by: Lorne Gill

Birds of prey - white-tailed eagles especially have seen the effects from Avian Flu since last April in 2022, when it was reported by the RSPB that at least chicks from four different nests based in Isle of Mull has died after contracting Avian Flu.

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FEATURE - AVIAN FLU UPDATE

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Because the birds range over extensive areas, it’s difficult to protect their habitat. This is best done through general land-use policies which include a provision for the birds, and ensure that key feeding and nesting requirements are not compromised.

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FEATURE - AVIAN FLU UPDATE

T

he breeding success of a number or bird of prey species, particularly eagles, may have been impacted by avian flu, according to a report published by NatureScot today.

The widespread effects of the virus on seabirds and wildfowl in Scotland and throughout the U.K. have been well documented, but the effect on birds of prey is less well known. A new analysis by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), using data from the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme, found that the proportion of golden eagle pairs successfully rearing young declined from 48% in 2021 to 28%. During the same period, breeding success for white-tailed eagles dropped from 67% to 45%.

White-tailed eagles appear to have been most severely impacted in coastal areas, suggesting a possible link between infected seabirds and waterfowl that eagles may have subsequently preyed on or scavenged. The largest declines recorded for both eagle species were in Lewis and Harris, where breeding success of golden eagles fell from 55% to 16%, and breeding success of white-tailed eagles declined from 66% to 24%.

The first cases of avian flu in birds of prey were detected in November 2021, and by April 2022, there were positive tests results for a range of species. The study found evidence for regional impacts on some species, such as lower breeding success for ravens in Orkney and Shetland, and for peregrines in Tayside. However, these impacts appear to be more localised than for eagles.

Other factors such as weather and prey availability can affect breeding success in birds of prey, leading to lower brood sizes or fewer chicks fledging from breeding attempts, but the 2022 data showed that complete nest failures (with no surviving young) were more frequent than partial successes. This is consistent with the effect of a highly contagious and pathogenic disease such as avian flu.

John Allan, NatureScot Ornithology Advisor, said: “Scotland still has strong eagle populations but these findings are very concerning.

So far we have had fewer positive test results among birds of prey this year than last year, but it is early in the season and we can’t be complacent. We intend to repeat this analysis in 2023 to see if breeding success begins to improve.

“All partners in Scotland’s Avian Flu Task Force are continuing to work hard to understand this virus and take action to make our wild bird populations more resilient.”

Mark Wilson, Acting Head of Science for BTO Scotland, said: “We know from laboratory tests for the virus in dead birds of prey that avian flu can kill both adult and nestling raptors. However, testing of live and dead chicks is too infrequent to be certain about how widespread this disease was among raptors in 2022, or how many of last year’s breeding failures were caused by avian flu. Nevertheless, the findings of this study are consistent with worrying impacts on Scottish eagle populations. We are hugely grateful to the hundreds of volunteers, most of them members of the Scottish Raptor Study Group, that send information on breeding raptors to the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme every year, as without them this study would have been impossible."

See the full report on their website

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DISCOVER BRITISH MARINE WILDLIFE WITH THE MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY

AT WWW.CONKERNATURE.COM

BEHIND-THE-COVER - WITH EVIE HALL

BEHIND-THE-COVER THE MARINE ISSUE: ‘MARINE WILD’ WITH EVIE HALL

“Our oceans are some of the most precious places on Earth. The oceans offer inspiration and hope, for people and nature worldwide. They provide us with the crucial survival by providing us with food and water as well as oxygen and carbon monoxide storing. Our oceans deserve the upmost protection.” - Conker Nature Magazine

Photos and words by Evie Hall Instagram: @eviewilderness Website: https://eviehallpt.myportfolio.com

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‘W

I am able to encourage compassion and encourage viewers to lead more sustainable lives, minimising our negative impacts on not just ocean wildlife, but all wildlife.

CN: Please introduce yourself to our readers, describing a little bit about yourself and your journey as a photographer.

CN: What inspired you to get into the creative industry, was there a specific reason or role model that inspired you to take this career path?

elcome, Evie, and congratulations on making the front cover of this month’s Conker Nature Magazine, The Marine issue. Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions!

EH: Hey Everyone! My name is Evie, I am 23 years of age and am a marine wildlife photographer from the East Coast of Australia. I have been doing photography for many years; however, it is only really the past year that I have decided to focus my time and energy in making it a career. As a child, I had a profound fascination for the natural world and the incredible animals that live here with us. As I grew up in the country, I spent most of my free time out in the garden, observing all sorts of animals on our farm. From here I developed a passion for photographing them, starting off with an Ipod, and advancing my equipment as the years passed.

Around the age of 21, I started spending more time down the Coast, at a location where Grey Nurse Sharks (Sand Tiger sharks), an endangered species of shark, are thriving. I spent countless hours diving with these magnificent animals, spending my spare time in the 8-11 degree (celsius) freezing waters observing them.

It was then that I decided to invest in underwater housing for my camera, as I wanted to capture footage of this species.

As time passed, I began to travel, eventually moving to the Gold Coast, Australia, where I live presently. With a beautiful coastline, rich with marine life, I have been able to build a portfolio showing the magic of the marine world. The purpose of my photography is to show the beauty of the marine world, and demonstrate the fragility within that beauty. I believe it is our responsibility to make right the wrongs we have done to this planet and the species we share it with. I hope that through my photography

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EH: I believe a profound love and fascination for the underwater world is the sole drive for my career path. I have always had a deep interest (no pun intended) for marine wildlife in all shapes and forms. Being able to photograph species such as sharks, sting rays, whales, any ocean animal really haha! It makes me feel adrenaline, excitement, it makes me feel humbled and alive to be in the presence of such incredible creatures. To capture content that is able to make people feel the feelings I feel when taking it, that is very special to me and I hope that it is able to inspire positive change aiding wildlife conservation efforts.

In terms of there being a specific role model, I believe Sir David Attenborough was a huge influence throughout my younger years. I absolutely idolised him, I had all his documentaries, all his segments, everything haha!

I actually sent him a letter with some photographs I had captured when I was 16, to my absolute shock he replied and offered very kind words a sentence from his letter I’ll never forget said “clearly you have a talent for this sort of personal journalism, I wish you the best of luck should you choose to pursue it as a career”. I haven't read his letter in years, but those have stuck with me and probably always will. His compassion for the planet and ALL its animals is inspirational to me, I feel very lucky to have had his influence throughout my adolescence and I think it definitely plays a part in the compassion and wonder I have for Earth and all that inhabit this planet.

BEHIND-THE-COVER - WITH EVIE HALL

‘Orcas, Blue Whales and Great White Sharks. Those three are very high on my list. I have done extensive research on those species and being able to document and capture footage of their beauty, intellect and sheer size (of the Blue Whale in particular) would be an absolute dream ’ CN: Your cover image is beautiful, what was the story of this shot? Has it always been an aspiration to capture marine biodiversity?

EH: Thank you! I was out with a local whale watching company (Wild Byron Sea Safaris) looking for Humpback Whales whilst they are migrating.

Between the months of May and November migrate up and down the Coast of Australia. They make the journey up the coast at the start of the season to mate and have their calves in the warmer waters, before heading back down to the colder Antarctic waters when the season comes to an end.

During this period, those of us on the East (and West) coast of Australia get to witness this beautiful species from either the beaches or boats! The shot presented on your cover, was captured at the very beginning of the season when we were watching this particular whale from a distance, then all of a sudden it swam right up next to our boat and decided to put on a bit of a show for us and breach (where the whale swims up and leaps out of the water) around 10 times before disappearing back under the boat and continuing its journey north.

Yes, it absolutely has always been an aspiration, and with such an abundance of marine life around me, it has been an absolute privilege to have these incredible encounters and be able to share it.

CN: What was your favourite part of this shot, and what contributed to the success of the outcome for you? How do you feel it stands out from your other images?

EH: I think just observing the sheer size and power of the Humpback Whale, seeing them throwing themselves out of the water, sometimes completely as this one did is just an incredible thing to witness. The fact I got it on camera was awesome haha!

I actually had the wrong lens on (I had a 200-600mm lens) which was more suited for far away subjects, so with this whale being as close as it was, I was surprised I managed to get it in frame. It happens very fast!

Well, I feel most of my images are underwater as that is where I spend most of my time with animals, but this is my first season observing the whales, and as I have just added a drone to my equipment, I plan on spending a lot more time capturing footage above water.

CN: What is your favourite step in planning an image? Is it the planning, preparation, shoot day, postproduction, or something else entirely?

EH: Hmmm, I feel I love the whole process, however I’d say overall, I love being there in the moment, looking through the eyepiece or monitor when I see wildlife do something I didn’t expect and knowing that I am getting footage of it.

When the wildlife I am photographing does something unexpected, I feel like my whole body warms up and I get that “butterflies” feeling in my stomach because I can’t believe I witnessed it AND got the footage. But more than this, I think the moment when I move my camera away from my face and I am underwater with this wild animal that is often much larger than me and perceived as dangerous by most televised media and I am just swimming with them, watching them while they’re watching me, not scared of each other but aware, almost co existing as if I was one with them, that is my absolute most favourite part of being a marine wildlife photographer,

the encounters I have.

I also really enjoy post processing, going through the footage after the day and seeing what magical encounter I was lucky enough to capture, knowing I’ll have that moment with me forever.

CN: Is there a specific species in the world that you have always wished to capture a photo of? If so, why is that the case?

EH: OOOOOOHHH, excellent question. I’d say Orcas, Blue Whales and Great White Sharks. Those three are very high on my list. I have done extensive research on those species and being able to document and capture footage of their beauty, intellect and sheer size (of the Blue Whale in particular) would be an absolute dream.

CN: As this interview is featured in our Marine Biodiversity Issue, what is your favourite aspect of marine biodiversity?

EH: Being able to explore the ocean and observe the synergy of all marine species is a beautiful thing. One of my images displays a Green Sea Turtle swimming through a school of fish. In that moment as the turtle was swimming up to me and the school of fish parted around it I remember thinking “Wow, what an incredible world we live in”. Feeling like I was inside the natural world with those species on that day was my favourite aspect of marine biodiversity, being amongst it and seeing it unfold around me.

CN: What equipment did you use to shoot this image and what is your go-to camera body and lenses?

EH: I shoot with a Sony A7RIV camera body and I used a 200600mm 5.6-6.3 Sony lens for the Humpback whale shot. I also use a Tamron 17-28mm 2.8 lens for all of my underwater footage with SeaFrogs Housing to keep everything dry. I sometimes use a Gopro Hero 11 for video footage. I also use a DJI Mavic 3 PRO for drone footage.

CN: Where is your favourite location to photograph or film wildlife, and why do you choose this location?

EH: Named Nguthungulli by the First Nations people of Australia, which translates to “the Creator rests in the ocean. Also known as Julian Rocks. The reef and sand beds surrounding Julian Rocks are home to an incredibly diverse ecosystem with hundreds of marine species. It is a very special place and one I hold very dear to me. Many of my images have been captured here.

CN: Let us into a secret, were there any challenges that arose on this shoot, and how did you overcome them?

EH: Having the wrong lens on was definitely an issue haha!

Many other breach shots were missed because the lens (even at the most distant focal point) was far too close to capture a shot where the whale was fully in frame.

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BEHIND-THE-COVER - WITH EVIE HALL CN: In your opinion as a marine wildlife photographer, what aspect of marine conservation should be a priority to conserve and protect, and why?

EH: This is a question I could spend hours answering. I believe it is of most importance that we stop polluting and overfishing the ocean.

First and foremost, the ocean is home to a vast array of species, many of which are already facing significant threats from other human-induced activities such as habitat destruction and climate change.

Pollution further exacerbates these challenges, leading to declines in populations by polluting their bodies with plastic which eventually causes their death. The marine world requires a balance of marine ecosystems to thrive.

A healthy ecosystem contributes to nutrient cycling, controlling algae growth, and providing food sources for both humans and other animals, so not only are we threatening the survival of marine life and preservation, but we are also threatening ourselves.

We have terribly unbalanced the ocean by polluting it, overfishing and magnifying climate change, to the point where some species are adapting and thriving, whilst others are becoming endangered, and their numbers are dropping rapidly. By reducing pollution and taking up sustainable fishing, we can mitigate the harmful effects on marine life, preserve ecosystem health, and ensure the sustainable use of marine resources for future generations. Furthermore, protecting marine life contributes to the well-being and livelihoods of millions of people who depend on the ocean for food, income, and cultural heritage.

Ultimately, taking action to stop polluting the ocean is not only an ethical responsibility but also a practical necessity for the well-being of our planet and future generations. The trouble is getting humans to understand the severity of our actions and what we have done and are continuing to do to the planet. So much needs to be changed to set this right. I just hope as a species we come together and make choices that are able to reverse some of the damage we have done.

CN: Do you have a dream location where you would like to capture marine wildlife? If so, where, and why is it a dream location?

EH: South Africa is high on the list to dive into the beautiful kelp forests! I have read research papers and watched documentaries on the incredible marine life that call these kelp forests home, I would really love to experience them!

CN: What advice would you offer to someone who is interested in pursuing a career or hobby in wildlife/marine photography?

EH: Just start doing it! If you have a genuine interest or passion for wildlife, nature or marine photography, find a local location where you’re able to experience it and grow confidence and just go for it!

CN: What projects are you working on next, and is there anything you can share with us on what you are working on moving forward?

EH: Yes! I am heading away at the end of July to the Maldives to dive with a bunch of incredible species over there through a company called Aveyla Manta Village which is based in Hanifaru Bay. They will be showing us all the beautiful animals and I’ll be capturing some incredible moments with species like manta rays, whale sharks, dolphins, eagle rays and more!

CN: Finally, where can our readers keep up with your work?

EH: I mostly showcase my work through my Instagram @Eviewilderness. On my Instagram, I post daily videos and photos of my marine encounters and even sell prints. I am doing lots of aerial footage of humpback whales at the moment so be sure to jump on and see that! Also, feel free to send through a message or an email if you have any questions!

CN: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, Evie. We are sure the readers of this marine issue loved reading about your experiences and your time as a marine wildlife photographer.

FOLLOW THE PHOTOGRAPHER Evie Hall is a 23 year old professional marine wildlife photographer, orgininating from the East Coast of Australia to being based presently in Gold Coast, Australia.

Around the age of 21, Evie began observing an endangered species of shark Grey Nurse Sharks (Sand Tiger sharks) thrive - it was here she invested in an underwater housing for her camera.

Follow Evie over on at: Instagram: @eviewilderness Website: https://eviehallpt.myportfolio.com Evie showcases her work through instagram, posting daily videos and photos of her marine encounters and she even sells prints you can purchase on her shop. Evie is currently doing a lot of aerial footage of humpback whales so jump on to see that!

Feel free to send Evie a message to say hello or if you have any questions!

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PHYTOPLANKTON PLANET Although microscopic in size, these organisms called plankton play a crucial role in marine ecosystems. They are the base food in the pyramid for the entire marine food web. The word for plankton orginates from the Greek word planktos, translating to the word “drifter”. Plankton drift around in water, floating around in tides, currents and streams.

Words by Chikanele Casandra Photos by Ifish Photography

Hydroid Crab on Sponge Catching Zooplankton in Lamalera Bay, Lembata Island, Indonesia

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FEATURE - PHYTOPLANKTON PLANET

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Photo by Ifish Photography Octocoral Ellisella, a Filigree Soft Coral in Triton Bay, Indonesia.

The Drifters

T

he ocean, if you look deep down within it you may see Its occupants, the oversized eyes, tentacles outstretching, razor-sharp irregular teeth, keen hunters, tender bodies, slow gracious travellers, creatures as clear as the waters, and living light in the deep dark world. In a place that covers more than half the planet’s surface, and accounts for 80% of all living life forms on Earth, it’s not unbelievable that bizarre, weird, and unexpected traits will be found. This fluid habitant contains beautiful motley homes, obscure abodes, variegated swimmers, extraordinary behaviours, and an extremely competitive and dangerous environment. The ocean contains deadly predators, the largest animal in the world, and the greatest migration occurs here.

The ocean contains within it a tremendous amount and diverse life forms, estimated as many as 700,000 marine species dwell in the oceans, but only 228,459 are known. Amongst these 228, 459 known, the most important habitats are too small to be seen with the eyes.

They have an ancient history with the planet, having played a major role in the existence of life, and helped the planet form. They are vital for life on Earth to thrive and are the backbone of the ocean. They are called Plankton.

Our planet was shaped by a series of events such as volcanic eruptions, asteroids, and thousands of years of rainfall. These conspicuous events often take the forefront of one’s mind when the issue of how our planet came to be is discussed. Hence putting behind the minute microscopic organism such as Fungi and Plankton that probably are as important if not more in the creation process.

Plankton Plankton is a Greek word meaning drifter. It represents small organisms that are unable to swim against the ocean current so they just drift.

Plankton has been around on our planet for a very long time, it played a vital role in the formation of the first breathable atmosphere on Earth by the release of oxygen

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into the atmosphere, hence enabling life here to flourish, this was called the great oxidation event.

Plankton over the years has also helped in the formation of mountains by depositing carbon to the ocean floor.

This carbon acted as a lubricant that allowed slabs of rocks to pile up, leading to mountain formation. This was made possible when abundant nutrients about 2 billion years ago caused the rapid multiplication and blooming of plankton. And when these planktons died and fell to the ocean floor, they deposited the tons of carbon they collected. Without this carbon to form graphite, a great lubricant, friction would have inhibited the formation of our mountains.

Dead or alive, these little lives serve a purpose. Over millions of years dead and decaying plankton, including their faecal matter, sank to the seabed. And when they sank, they deposited the carbon which they collected during their lifetime. The deposition of this carbon makes the ocean a mighty reserve of carbon, and this accumulated carbon has been serving as our oil and gas reserves.

Although plankton plays a more “behind the scene role” now, it once had a fore role in transforming our planet into a livable space. Currently, plankton plays more of a stabilizing role for our planet, acting as the base of the food chain, serving whales, orcas, and sharks. They still produce half the oxygen we breathe and lock carbon away. Their presence is needed to keep the ocean the beacon of life it is.

When speaking of plankton, they are two main categories: Zooplankton and Phytoplankton Zooplankton This means animals are drifters. These are tiny animals, juvenile larvae of crustaceans, krill, crabs, urchins, mussels, and fishes. They feed on plankton. They begin life as drifters and soon some of them outgrow the larvae stage and they return to the depth of the ocean for an adult life. They feed by the use of sticky tentacles, mucus nets, sucking their prey dry, or by sieving them out of the water using whirlpools.

They are a vital part of the ecosystem. Being second to the food chain, they are responsible for the transfer of nutrients and organic carbon from the base of the food chain to the surface. Their diet is specifically phytoplankton eating at least 11, ooo-373,000 of them per day. The most famous and active of them are copepods and krill.

These microorganisms keep these phytoplanktons from overgrowing thereby balancing the ecosystem. They also act as a link between phytoplankton and others higher in the food chain. Copepods are the dominating zooplankton estimating about 90% of its population.

Phytoplankton The name Phytoplankton means plant drifters. They are plantlike cells. Although too small to sight, they happen to be the most important of all living things in the marine world. Their presence signifies life for the ocean. They include aquatic organisms that can utilize sunlight via photosynthesis to make food. They include Cyanobacteria, Dinoflagellates, Diatoms, and Coccolithophores.

Their presence in the period of planetary formation made it possible for life to flourish. The great oxidation event that changed the atmosphere of our planet from a methane and ammonia-rich atmosphere to an oxygen-rich atmosphere was overseen by an important member of the phytoplankton; cyanobacterium. This oxidation event enabled life to flourish on our planet.

Their presence in the period of planetary formation made it possible for life to flourish. The great oxidation event that changed the atmosphere of our planet from a methane and ammonia-rich atmosphere to an oxygen-rich atmosphere was overseen by an important member of the phytoplankton; cyanobacterium. This oxidation event enabled life to flourish on our planet.

And currently, the ocean often referred to as the lungs of the planet produces half the oxygen we breathe (50%) and takes out a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is made possible by the presence of these Phytoplanktons.

The existence of life in the oceans and its sustenance is also attributed to these Invisible organisms. Long before the ocean became habitable, the pH of the ocean was too unstable for life to survive. These Coccolithophores and other calcifying plankton helped to reshape the chemistry of the oceans. The deposition and accumulation of their shells made of calcium carbonate on the sea bed acted as a buffer. It dissolves when the ocean becomes acidic; releasing carbonate ions, hence taking part in a reaction that will push the pH back to near neutral. This made the ocean less vulnerable to volcanic eruptions and made it a more chemically stable environment for the diverse life in it to thrive. Currently, this calcium carbonate is cushioning the effect of the excess carbon in the atmosphere.

Presently, they act as the base of the food chain that sustains all living things in the ocean. Without them, the ocean becomes a lifeless vastness of water.

Down to a more close and intimate relationship with us, they are responsible for the peculiar smell of the beaches, it’s due to a chemical produced by decaying phytoplankton called dimethyl sulfide, it produces the scent known as sea air which is beneficial to humans’ health wise and mentally. This scent also acts as a compass for birds such as albatross in search of food. Furthermore, dimethyl sulfide also has a role in the formation of clouds. This chemical reacts with sunlight to create particles that draw water droplets hence forming clouds in the sky.

Photo by Ifish Photography Black Giant, Manta Ray Mobula birostris Under the Sky in Raja Ampat, Indonesia WWW.CONKERNATURE.COM | CONKER NATURE | 33

Their presence on the beaches can not only be smelt but can be seen.

Either through foams on the beaches which is often presumed to be a sign of pollution, but is actually a sign that a plankton bloom has taken place. The waves mush the sticky remains of the dead colony together and then deposit them on the beaches as foam. Another physical evidence is the spectacular sign that happens once in a while that showcases the bioluminescent ability of this plankton: Glowing beaches, this is probably the most fictional fairy tale come true there is. Their presence in large numbers causes the discolouration of the water and in the day can be seen as a reddish or brown colour known as the red tide. But at night they display the spectacle of bioluminescence.

These tiny organisms are vital members of the ocean’s ecosystem.

From their initial role in the formation of a habitable planet, to a stabilizing role and down to a critical role now in the stabilization of our planet as carbon emission amongst other environmental problems hits our planet hard. They are vital for our earth’s survival from petrol in our car, to fish in our food, to the oxygen we breathe, down to our climate. These minute organisms affect every important aspect of our lives, and they live in the marine ecosystem.

HISTORY OF PLANKTON Plankton is a well-known aspect of ocean biodiversity in the present day, but how was it found in the first place? Chloe Taylor finds the answer...

Early clues to global importance of phytoplankton emerged in the scientific world in the 1930’s. Across several research voyages, oceanographers collected thousands of samples of sea water from what was classed as the deep ocean (at the time this was at a depth below 500 metres) and was collected from around the world.

From that, the research team then measured the relative amounts of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus - these elements are what is needed to construct the essential cellular molecules - for both seawater and phytoplankton. After testing the amounts a man known as Alfred Redfield of Harvard University in the United States of America realised that the proportions of the elements in the ocean weren’t hap-hazardous.

They discovered that in every region that seawater sampling was taken from, the ratio was the exact same as the ratio in phytoplankton - for over 20 years, the researchers were puzzled why the ratios were the same. Redfield then made a ground-breaking discovery in 1958, stating that phytoplankton not only mirrored the chemical elements, but in fact created them. He theorised that as phytoplankton as the creatures that ate them died and sank to the seabed (as well as their faecal matter with them), micro-organisms in the very deep sea broke the material down into the chemical compounds, creating seawater with the exact same proportions of nitrogen and phosporus as the phytoplankton.

Since then, scientists have discovered that microorganisms also helped shaped the chemical compounds of our Earth’s air and land. Additionally and most dramatically, trillions of phytoplankton were able to create the planet’s breathable and oxygen-rich atmosphere - something that other planets sorely lack.

To read more on the full history of plankton, and how vitally important it is to our planet head to our website at www.conkernature.com Find out more about our education packs and more on our website and our store.

Photo by Ifish Photography A Pair of Panda Butterflyfishes Chaetodon adiergastos in Colorful Niche, Indonesia

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DISCOVER A WORLD LIKE NO OTHER WITH WORLD ENCOUNTER MAGAZINE YOUR GO-TO TRAVEL, CULTURE, AND FOOD MAGAZINE Photo by Theo Skudlark INSTAGRAM: @WORLDENCOUNTER

The Marine Specialists Photographer: Scott Duffield Instagram: scott.duffield.photography Facebook: www.facebook.com/Scott.duffield.photography Website: www.scottduffieldphotography.pixieset.com

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Puffins and other seabirds are starving. They may be internationally important, but they’re sadly in decline.

Their food source, sandeels, is becoming harder to find because of rising temperatures and human activity.

These small shoaling fish are critical for seabirds, including some of our most threatened species. As sea temperatures rise, the fish puffins rely on swim deeper in search of cooler waters, making it much harder for diving birds to find a meal.

RSPB

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Dive in Explore the lives of six spectacular seabirds which breed along the UK coastline.

Words and photos by Rosie Baillie Instagram: @anaturevoyage Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rosieoutdoors

E

ach year cliffs and islands along the British coastline are transformed into loud, bustling places as seabirds come ashore for the breeding season. To celebrate National Marine Week, we are looking at six of the seabird species which breed in colonies in the United Kingdom, their life at sea, and on our cliffs.

Our coasts are an important habitat, hosting over 8 million breeding seabirds belonging to 25 different species. That includes 56% of all northern gannets, and 20% of the world’s razorbills.

Though many bird species can live near the coast and may be found amongst seabird colonies, such as rock doves or jackdaws, they do not rely on the sea to survive. Seabirds, also called pelagic birds, rely on the sea for survival and are specifically adapted for marine life.

Gannets Gannets (Morus bassanus) first arrive on our shores in January, after spending the winter along the west coast of Africa. The adults are large white birds with black wing tips, a long neck, a pale-yellow head, a large grey-blue beak with black markings, and icy blue eyes.

They are monogamous, which means they commonly mate with the same partner for life.

Gannets, like many other seabirds, will generally return to the same colony and use the same nest each year. It is estimated we have 295,000 breeding pairs in the UK. Gannets lay one egg each breeding season, around April, during which the male and female will take turns incubating for about six weeks.

The chicks start out white and fluffy, before developing a darker plumage. By September, the young will be ready to fledge and begin their journey to West Africa.

It takes the young five years to reach maturity, during which time they are easy to spot due to their black and white plumage, which becomes increasingly white until they reach adulthood.

This is a species known for speed, with eyesight that allows them to accurately judge distances.

Gannets feed on fish close to the surface by tucking their wings in and plunging into the water from heights of 30 metres. They have air sacs under their skin which act like bubble wrap, and reinforced skulls, to protect them from the force of the impact.

Razorbills and common guillemots At first glance, razorbills (Alca torda) and common guillemots (Uria aalge) look quite similar. Both birds are slender, have contrasting dark and white plumage, and may seem penguinlike in appearance.

Razorbills are black with a bright white chest and underside, and striking white lines across their wings, face, and beak.

Guillemots, on closer inspection, are more of a dark brown on top with white plumage underneath. Some guillemots are “bridled” and may be appearing to wear white eyeliner, with a white ring around their eye and a flick extending backwards towards their neck.

Both species form densely packed colonies, and their numbers begin to build up in March.

Guillemots are more numerous, with 950,000 breeding pairs in the UK in comparison to 165,000 breeding pairs of razorbills.

As with gannets, they mate for life and lay a single egg at a time. The incubation time is around a month, with razorbills having a slightly longer incubation time on average. The chicks of both species resemble the adults and are dark on their heads and backs with a white chest and body.

At just a few weeks old, young guillemots and razorbills are encouraged by their parents to take a leap of faith off the cliffs they hatched on down into the water below before they are even able to fly. They will then travel out to sea with their father, who will stay with them for several weeks and keep feeding them.

Jumping off a cliff at three weeks old while unable to fly may seem like a risky move.

However, researchers identified that being out at sea with their father actually allows the young to get more food than if both parents were having to fly to and from the nest.

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A Razorbill individual

FEATURE - DIVE IN

Gannet colony at Troup Head, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

A juvenile gannet

Gannet couple - with one blackeyed gannet, a sign of surviving a highly pathogenic avian influenza

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A Guillemot individual

Fulmars

Atlantic puffins

Colony at Fowlsheugh

Everyone’s favourite, the puffin (Fratercula arctica), makes their grand appearance along our coastline around March-April time, building up to 580,000 breeding pairs. These stout black and white birds with a brightly coloured bill and bright orange feet to match are instantly recognisable. Their appearance has earned them the nicknames “clowns of the sea” and “sea parrots”.

Though puffins are related to razorbills and guillemots, they do not form tightly packed colonies. Instead, they prefer to use burrows at the top of cliffs or on top of islands. They may choose to excavate their own burrow using their feet and beaks or repurpose a vacant rabbit burrow. Where they cannot build or reuse a burrow, puffins may choose to nest in cracks in cliffs.

Using burrows is a strategy to try to protect themselves and their young against predators.

Some larger bird species, such as skuas and great black-backed gulls, will predate on young and adult puffins. In addition to worrying about predators, getting all their catch back to their burrows is not always an easy job.

Puffins are well-known for stuffing their beaks full of shining sand eels. As shown in episode one of David Attenborough’s Wild Isles, puffins sometimes have a stressful dash back to their burrow.

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six weeks until the young puffin, called a puffling, hatches. Mother and father will take turns feeding their puffling until they are ready to fledge, which can be between 36 – 60 days. When the young reach fledging age, the adults in the colony will all leave their young behind and head back out to sea again.

Outside the breeding season, puffins that breed in the UK generally spend their time in the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Kittiwakes Unlike some other gulls, kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) are strictly seabirds.

You will not find a kittiwake eyeing up your chips in the middle of England.

When you first see a kittiwake, they may look like a smaller version of a common or herring gull but there are key differences to look out for.

Kittiwakes have a shorter yellow bill, dark eyes, and black legs and feet.

Some birds, such as herring gulls and blackheaded gulls, use kleptoparasitic feeding strategies to steal food from other birds and will happily go after a puffin’s catch.

Again, this is another species where both parents will incubate a single egg for five to

After spending the non-breeding season out on the Atlantic Ocean, they begin returning to their breeding grounds at the end of winter. The males arrive first and will begin their mating display, which involves lowering their head to their chest and then throwing it back up towards the sky.

A Kittiwake individual

A puffin, Britain’s voted favourite bird

It is common for kittiwakes to pair with their mate from the previous season, though they do not always do this.

In contrast to the previously mentioned seabirds, kittiwakes lay one or two (sometimes three) eggs, which both parents incubate for around 27 days.

The downy young are white and grey. The down is quickly replaced with a sleeker-looking white and grey plumage, with black markings across the back of their neck, the tips of their tail, and in an ‘M’ shape across their wings and back. Unlike adults, juveniles have a completely black beak.

There are an estimated 205,000 breeding pairs of kittiwakes in the UK, with populations in decline in some locations, possibly due to sand eel shortages.

Fulmars The fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) gets its name from an Old Nordic word which means “foul gull” in relation to their ability to spit a foul-smelling oil at anything which gets too close to their nest. The oil can mat bird feathers, which can lead to the death of the would-be nest intruder.

They belong to the “tubenose” order, which includes albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters. As the name may suggest, these birds have nostrils in a tube.

Fulmars bare a resemblance to gulls but given time you will notice how different they look. Though they have grey feathers across their back, it is a

darker and more mottled colour than seen on gull species. There is also that classic tubenose, which is a muted yellow and grey-blue colour. In flight, they look much stiffer than gulls.

After spending winter in the northern Atlantic Ocean, 350,000 pairs of fulmars return to the UK in March to previously used nests and to reunite with their partner. Fulmars lay one egg, which the pair will incubate for around seven to eight weeks.

The young look like a ball of white-grey fluff with a tubenose attached. Fulmar chicks will fledge before the end of August, and then spend the next few years out at sea. They are a long-lived species, typically living for 44 years and do not start breeding until they are nine years old.

How are seabirds adapted to life at sea?

In addition to some of the more specialised adaptations some species have, such as protective air pockets and jumping off cliffs at three weeks old, seabirds have several common adaptations which set them apart from non-marine birds.

All seabirds have webbed feet to help them swim and catch prey. Many seabirds waterproof their feathers using oils from their preen gland, which is found on their back above their tail. Having waterproof feathers is not unique to seabirds, and it is not a trait all seabirds have -cormorants, for example, do not have waterproof feathers. Dense feathers are common in seabirds to protect them from the cold and prevent water from reaching

their skin. As with humans, salt water is dangerous for seabirds.

To deal with this issue, they have a salt gland in their head, just above their eyes. The gland extracts salt from their bodies and excretes it as a concentrated saline solution from their nostrils.

Seabird nostrils can be seen on their beaks, and they are easier to see on species like fulmars because it sits prominently on top of their beak. However, some species such as gannets have no external nostrils. Instead, their nostrils are inside their beak to prevent seawater from getting up their nose while diving for prey. For these birds, the water is excreted from their internal nostrils and exits their beak at the tip.

When out at sea, seabirds sleep out on the open water. During the breeding season, they will sleep on land in their colonies, though they may still sleep at sea if they go on multi-day foraging trips.

Some seabirds may undertake certain activities, such as leaving the nest for the first time, at night to reduce the risk of predation.

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Gannet individual at Troup Head

Razorbill at Fowlsheugh

The birds are also capable of weathering out winter storms while at sea. Though, repeated harsh storms, which may become more common as a result of climate change, could impact their ability to find prey.

Some species of the Alcidae family, which includes puffins, razorbills, and guillemots, undergo a moult which renders them completely flightless for a period. While razorbills and guillemots moult over the summer, puffins moult during the autumn and winter which may leave them vulnerable to winter storms. This may result in them being unable to fly away from bad weather and struggling to find food.

Human impacts on seabirds If you are looking out over cliffs or islands packed with seabirds, you may get the impression that everything is ok. Unfortunately, our seabirds are facing several threats.

The ongoing outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) began in poultry farms and spread to wild birds. Seabirds have been hit hard by this strain of avian flu, especially northern gannets. The virus can be passed to other birds during mating displays, feeding chicks, or via faeces. The latter is more of an issue for species which form densely packed colonies as avoiding another bird’s faeces can be near impossible.

Gannets have been photographed at colonies around the UK with dark-coloured or mottled irises, instead of their usual pale blue colour. Research found that eye discolouration in gannets was a sign of a previous HPAI infection.

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“The discovery may prove a useful non-invasive diagnostic tool,” said Dr Jude Lane, a conservation scientist for the RSPB, in a press release. “The next steps are to understand its efficacy, if it applies to any other species, and whether there are any detrimental impacts to the birds’ vision.

Ophthalmology exams will also be needed to determine what is causing the black colouration.”

Climate change is an important issue affecting seabirds. Warming seas can impact the marine food chain, leading to devastating results for seabirds if they are no longer able to find prey. For example, puffins and kittiwakes will suffer because of less abundant sand eels if there is less plankton for the sand eels to feed on. Similarly, overfishing of prey species, such as sprat, can cause serious issues for seabirds.

A change in prey availability may result in the birds expending more energy to travel further for food.

This could ultimately lead to adults and chicks starving if the adults are unable to find enough food to support themselves and their young. To make matters worse, adults who are not in good condition will be unable to breed. This compounds the issue as it takes seabirds a few years to reach sexual maturity, meaning recovery from these issues will be slow.

Fishing is not just a problem for prey as thousands of seabirds are killed as bycatch each year when they are either caught in fishing nets while diving or trying to take bait from hooks.

Offshore renewable energy is a vital part of moving away from fossil fuels and reducing carbon

emissions. While any activity to mitigate the impacts of climate change would benefit seabirds, we do not fully understand the impacts these large structures are having.

“Man-made structures appear to attract fish…Exactly why fish are attracted, increased food or just a ‘rest’ area in the currents, is unknown and we are attempting to discover that in a new Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) project PELAgIO,” says Professor Beth Scott, a marine ecology researcher from the University of Aberdeen.

This may result in seabirds, and marine mammals such as seals and dolphins, learning that wind farms are a predictable place to find prey.

“If seabirds risk foraging more often near wind turbines they may increase their risk of collision.”

Additionally, the structures will impact ocean mixing, which can impact prey availability.

Professor Scott explains, “the new structures will cause increased turbulence in the

water column while the wind energy extraction will decrease the amount of mixing at the surface of the sea.”

“This is important because small changes in mixing can have profound changes in how plankton is produced (the base of the marine food chain) and what species of plankton are produced. These changes may affect the marine food chain and therefore effect many species of fish and rates of growth and survival.” However, she notes that the effects could be positive rather than negative.

Disturbance by humans and dogs is another risk to seabirds, as some seabirds may leave, or even abandon, a nest when disturbed. Please remember to follow any advice and signage when visiting seabird colonies to avoid disturbing them at a crucial time.

Seabird colonies around the UK are a place of awe and wonder. You won’t forget the sights, sounds, and smells of thousands of seabirds, and nor should you. For a few months each spring and summer we get to see these impressive birds up close and can only wonder what it must feel like to spend months soaring over the sea or hitting the water at 60 mph unscathed.

When and where to watch a seabird colony Seabirds can be found around the UK coastline and on islands. The best times to see them and their fluffy chicks are between May and August, though take note if you want to see a specific species as they may leave earlier.

Razorbill takeoff at Fowlsheugh

Some islands are closed due to avian influenza, but the birds can still be viewed from a boat tour.

- Troup Head (RSPB), located in Banffshire.

FOLLOW THE WRITER + PHOTOGRAPHER

- Fowlsheugh (RSPB), located in Aberdeenshire.

- Handa Island (Scottish Wildlife Trust), located in Sutherland.

- Staffa (National Trust for Scotland), located in Argyll and Bute.

- Bass Rock, located in East Lothian.

- Bempton Cliffs (RSPB), located in Yorkshire.

- Flamborough Head, located in Yorkshire.

- The Farne Islands (The National Trust), located in Northumberland.

- Rathlin Nature Reserve (RSPB), located in County Antrim.

- Skomer Island, located in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

- RSPB South Stack Cliffs, located in Anglesey.

- Puffin Island, located in Anglesey.

Please ensure that if you visit these locations that you keep disturbance to a minimum, leave nothing behind from your trip, and take no pets with you.

Do keep in mind some of these locations might have stricter rules than others if visiting.

Rosie Baillie Rosie Baillie is a writer and selfdescribed nature nerd based in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. Rosie is currently studying and researching human ecology.

Rosie spends her free time trail running and hiking in the outdoors spending as much time in nature as possible.

Follow Rosie over on social media at Instagram: @anaturevoyage Twitter: @Rosie_baillie Youtube: @RosieOutdoors

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Majestic White-tailed Sea Eagle Photographer: Scott Duffield Instagram: scott.duffield.photography Facebook: www.facebook.com/Scott.duffield.photography Website: www.scottduffieldphotography.pixieset.com

The White-tailed Eagle is Britain’s largest bird of prey. This species is classed as a Schedule 1 species, and went extinct in Britain in the early 20th century, due to illegal killing, with the present population in the UK being descended from reintroduced birds.

White-tailed sea eagles still remain a scarce breeding bird in the UK - with majority of the breeding population residing in the west coast of Scotland. However, there are current reintroduction programs in place across the Scottish east coast, in Ireland, and famously in England on the Isle of Wight. This has made it now possible to possibly encounter this majestic species anywhere in the British Isles.

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“The Majestic white tailed sea eagle on the isle of Mull, in this sequence I also managed to photograph a juvenile eagle getting mobbed by a Gull and a hooded crow which look minuscule in comparison to the huge sea eagle.” - Scott Duffield

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DISCOVER CONKER NATURES EDITORS PICKS AT WWW.CONKERNATURE.COM Photo by FATFACE INSTAGRAM: @CONKERNATUREMAGAZINE EMAIL: INFO@CONKERNATURE.COM FACEBOOK: CONKER NATURE TWITTER: @CONKERNATURE YOUTUBE: @CONKERNATURE PINTEREST: @CONKERNATURE

Puffins The tiny birds with a huge character Photographer: Scott Duffield Instagram: scott.duffield.photography Facebook: www.facebook.com/Scott.duffield.photography Website: www.scottduffieldphotography.pixieset.com

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The Humpback Whale Near the coast of Kola Peninsula, staying for the warmer climate Photographer: Viacheslav Kantov Instagram: @slaavich_kan

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DISCOVER A WORLD LIKE NO OTHER WITH WORLD ENCOUNTER MAGAZINE YOUR GO-TO TRAVEL, CULTURE AND FOOD MAGAZINE Photo by Cary Slatkin INSTAGRAM: @WORLDENCOUNTER

New Perspectives

Câr-Y-Môr is a community owned business using regenerative ocean farming, food security and sustainable job creation to improve the coastal environment and improve the wellbeing of the local community. It's all for the love of the sea.

Journalist, Elizabeth Reynolds, vists Câr-Y-Môr to find out more.

This work was produced in part with the support of the Campaign for National Parks New Perspectives scheme.

Words by: Elizabeth Reynolds Instagram: @lizzieeleer Twitter: @LizzieeLR Location: Câr-Y-Môr Instagram: @car_y_mor Twitter: @ Car_Y_Mor Linkedin: Câr-Y-Môr Work Support: Campaign for National Parks Instagram: @campaign4parks Twitter: @Campaign4Parks

I

t is bright winter’s day when I visit a small farmhouse near St David’s in Pembrokeshire.

Brightly coloured portacabins at the end of the driveway contrast with the brown-brick home and slowly crumbling farm buildings. I stand in the centre of the rough pebbled courtyard in the warm sunshine with Owen Haines, who grumbles about not being able to convert the disused buildings, but who glows with passion when talking about the venture he is on with over 200 other members.

Câr-y-Môr, translating from Welsh to “For the Love of Sea”, was founded in 2017 when Owen’s daughter Megan convinced him to start a seaweed farm based on regenerative ocean farming.

The vision was to help improve the coastal environment by operating as a Community Benefit Society, an organisation where all profits are reinvested to help the wider community.

“It’s similar to a non-profit organisation, in that everything goes back into the business” Câry-Môr’s Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Ella Sturley, tells me. “It's entirely for the benefit of the local community in Pembrokeshire and in St David’s”.

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The organisation also runs on a nonhierarchical basis. All members own the organisation equally and anyone, anywhere can sign up to be a member for as little as £1. This approach seemed fitting in an area whose community has for so long relied heavily on the industry of the coast.

The project brought the whole family to this iconic coastline of south-west Wales, the majority of which sits within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and is covered by a network of conservation areas. Fishing has played a vital role in the development of Pembrokeshire, with practically every era of human history on this tip of the country being shaped by its connection to the sea. From tourism and industry to everyday subsistence, the people of Pembrokeshire have often made their living from the sea. Almost anything which can be pulled from the water has found its uses, including seaweed.

Historically, seaweed often took the form of laverbread, a kind of puree made from a

kind of puree made from a red algae variety which is also used to make nori in Japan and was widely eaten in Wales from at least the 17th century. The springtime gathering of laver on shores near St David’s in Pembrokeshire was recorded in 1607, although it had likely been used as a survival food for centuries earlier, containing high levels of protein, iron, and other useful minerals. Today, the range of seaweed-based food seems everexpanding. Câr-y-Môr is continuously looking for new ways to use it, from cakes and granola to apéritifs and a locally brewed beer.

After finding success with their two trial farms, established in August 2020, Câry-Môr set up their 3-hectare commercial farm last summer near St Justinian's, a popular tourist destination. From the farmhouse, it’s a quick drive through St David’s, down, more or less, a single undulating road. In the summer, hundreds of holidaymakers would be walking the coastal path, or catching a tour boat from the old RNLI lifeboat station to sail around

‘We’re growing different species of shellfish and seaweed together to create a multitrophic environment, focusing on polyculture rather than just single species. They grow well together and are pivotal in increasing biodiversity’ - Câr-y-Môr’s Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Ella Sturley Drone shot of the seaweed farm Image: Chalmers Creative

Ramsey Island to see puffins, seals, and dolphins, but in the winter months, the waters and cliff edges are quiet.

seaweed below, made up of around 1,400 seeded lines which have bloomed since they were first planted.

It is here that I meet Fergus Evans, a student at Bristol University on his placement year with Câr-y-Môr, researching the environmental impacts of sea farming. We chat on the beach in the shadow of the red and white lifeboat building. By the shore, another member of Câr-y-Môr pulls a tiny boat out onto the water to collect the larger craft so they can both head out as part of their regular check-ups on the newly growing farm.

Below the waves, a little ecosystem of marine life is forming. Câr-y-Môr began the process with mostly kelp planting, but they’ve seen a flourishing of wild seeding of a range of other varieties since then. Alongside the seaweed, they’re also raising shellfish including mussels. “We’re growing different species of shellfish and seaweed together to create a multitrophic environment, focusing on polyculture rather than just single species,” explains Ella. “They grow well together and are pivotal in increasing biodiversity”.

The waters are calm on this sunny December morning, but the Ramsey Sound can be notoriously treacherous, a thin strip of the Irish Sea which separates Ramsey Island from the mainland and is regularly subject to strong tidal flows and gales. Fergus tells me how they sometimes must battle 10-foot waves to reach the farms. I ask Fergus to point out where the site is, and after some scanning of the gently bobbing waters, I spot the distant rows of pink buoys that mark the forest of

Red and white lifeboat building Image: Elizabeth Reynolds

These water conditions encourage a greater variety of sea life. Part of Fergus’ job with Câr-y-Môr is to complete environmental monitoring, keeping track of the dolphins, porpoises, and the variety of fish species which pass by the farm each day. It demonstrates the great potential for improving biodiversity and water quality which seaweed encourages.

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While there is a lot of talk about the potential for seaweed to act as a revolutionary carbon sequester, Câry-Môr is careful not to overplay this potential until the full scientific backing is there. “Seaweed can take in carbon,” Ella tells me. “That is something we do know for sure. The thing that we aren’t 100% sure on at the moment, is the storage element - so what happens after it's been taken in”.

Despite these uncertainties on the full potential of seaweed, Câr-y-Môr is playing a crucial role as a regenerative ocean farm. “It is fishermen acting as ecologists at the same time” Fergus says, as he pulls on waders preparing to head out to sea, echoing an idea of preservation in action, something Owen had stressed earlier.

As well as their own farm, whose shellfish aren’t currently being grown commercially, Câr-y-Môr works with local fishermen to sell lobster and crab.

“We’re working with the proper locals that you'd expect to see in the harbour” Ella says. “They’ve done a hard day's work out at sea in whatever kind of treacherous conditions. The proper old school style traditional fishermen”. These kinds of small-scale and locally focused industries demonstrate that environmental protection and fishing communities do not have to be opposed to each other and can work effectively together to improve our marine conditions.

Câr-y-Môr seaweed on the boat Image: Câr-y-Môr

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There has been a tendency for the fishing industry to feel at odds with environmental measures to protect marine areas. Smaller, local producers can often feel like they’re getting the brunt of these regulations. Across the globe, low-impact, local fishing vessels are battling against both the destructive overfishing practices of large trawlers as well as against fishing bans and other barriers which larger businesses often find ways to bypass. Câry-Môr have faced their own difficulties, such as the struggle to get licences and concerns about how unchecked sewage spills may affect their water.

Protecting coastal environments goes hand in hand with protecting and empowering coastal communities that have faced decades of decline. It is a story which is seen across Britain’s coastlines.

Frustrated fishing communities are fighting to find their place and support a living.

Examples can be found further down the Welsh coastline in the industrious towns of Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock which face each other across the natural harbour of the Cleddau Estuary. The area was developed extensively in the 19th century, with Milford Haven ranked as the 4th most important port in the whole of England and Wales by the 1920s, virtually the entire town’s livelihood came from the fishing industry in one way or another.

The rich fishing regions of the Pembrokeshire coast helped bolster this growth, but the signs of overfishing were already being seen in this period of boom, and by the 1970s the port’s decline was clear with the number of fishing vessels plummeting from over 200 to just 14.

Numbers continued to tumble with market tensions and fluctuating prices adding further pressure. By the 1990s the fleets had gone entirely, and the docks were converted into a marina with holdings for pleasure yachts and floating holiday homes. Despite these efforts, the tourism industry struggled to take off in the town, and it remains one of those many left-behind areas of coastal Britain.

Even in communities such as Tenby or Fishguard, which have managed to re-establish themselves as tourist destinations, the seasonality of the industry still leaves locals struggling. Last year, Loughborough University and the End Child Poverty Coalition recorded that over a third of children in Pembrokeshire were living in poverty. Câr-y-Môr is looking to help these severe levels of deprivation by creating jobs through their farms and bringing money into the area throughout the year, not only by supporting local fishermen but by also exploiting the full possibilities of seaweed.

The power of seaweed is being put into products outside of foodstuffs, creating

Câr-y-Môr market stall Image: Câr-y-Môr

NATIONAL PARKS: NEW PERSPECTIVES SCHEME Câr-y-Môr seaweed storage process Image: Câr-y-Môr

an excellent fertiliser and a decomposable bath bomb. “It’s full of fresh natural products that then goes back into the waterway” explains Ella. “We’re looking at this circular life of seaweed. We talk about circular economy in fashion and finance, but the circular life seaweed has the potential to play is pretty exciting”. The long-term plan for the organisation is to set up a seaweed refinery which will allow the creation of a fully compostable bioplastic, working with the company Notpla, who won the Earthshot prize for building toward a waste-free world.

As Câr-y-Môr’s success continues, they hope to expand the example they’ve established to other coastal communities across the country. But while their ambitions remain wide, and they welcome members and investors from across the world, they still recognise the need to build their local relationships. As Ella tells me, “We can get a £1 million donation, but if we don’t have the local harbours onboard, it means nothing”.

On the cliffs above Milford Haven there is a memorial to “our fishermen”. Overlooking the bay, a bronze figure in full wet-weather protective gear hauls a bulging net behind him. Below him is inscribed: “Thanks to them, Milford Haven flourished”. But while the flourishing of these previously prosperous docklands is now largely resigned to the past, organisations such as Câr-y-Môr are showing us that with fresh and innovative approaches, there is new life yet in our coastal communities. By focusing on grassroots engagement and a regenerative approach, British waters can continue to support local economies, while also preserving and celebrating the marine environments which feeds them.

FOLLOW THE WRITER + SEAWEED FARM

Elizabeth Reynolds + Câr-y-Môr This work was produced in part with the support of the Campaign for National Parks New Perspectives scheme.

Words by: Elizabeth Reynolds Instagram: @lizzieeleer Twitter: @LizzieeLR Location: Câr-Y-Môr Instagram: @car_y_mor Twitter: @ Car_Y_Mor Linkedin: Câr-Y-Môr Work Support: Campaign for National Parks Instagram: @campaign4parks Twitter: @Campaign4Parks

The 'National Parks: New Perspectives' are bursaries that are designed to engage new audiences with National Parks addressing a challenge reported by most National Parks in 2020. It's not about existing National Parks communicators learning a new language, but is about meeting people where they are.

National Parks are often seen through the eyes of a certain demographic but as the past year has shown, they're enjoyed by all. This scheme aims to enable a new generation of communicators to share their stories from these special places with bursaries to fund their creative work in National Parks.

National Parks plan to launch at least 3 x £1,000+ bursaries which will provide funding for early career creators to share their stories of National Parks and inspire their peers to get out there too.

Younger people have been hit hard by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and that youth unemployment is rising. We want the experience and profile of this work to help people secure future work too.

While the main focus of these bursaries is the recipients, Campaign for National Parks, National Park Authorities and Societies and others will also benefit from understanding new perspectives and how to better engage with different audiences.

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Statue in Milford Haven Image: Elizabeth Reynolds

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Cliffs at Câr-y-Môr Image: Elizabeth Reynolds

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PETS ARE AN EVERYDAY PART OF OUR LIVES - DISCOVER OUR WORLDWIDE PETS AT PERFECT PETS MAGAZINE YOUR GO-TO ALL PETS MAGAZINE Photo by Tatiana Dmitrieva INSTAGRAM: @PERFECTPETS

Green Marine Environment fund distributes 3.2m to 45 projects

A trailblazing marine environment fund – designed to help ensure Scotland’s coasts and seas are healthy, productive and nature-rich – is already having a great impact, after its first two years saw over £3.2m in funding distributed to 45 projects.

Words by: NatureScot Edited by: Victoria Mee

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xamples of the projects funded around Scotland include improving the ability to rescue stranded marine mammals, using cutting-edge technology to track the health of the marine environment, restoring sand dunes, and improving seagrass beds.

The Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) has so far distributed nearly £3.3m, with £2.9m coming from the Nature Restoration Fund, along with almost £400,000 from private finance (led by the offshore wind industry). It is a new financial tool designed to help bridge the green finance gap for Scotland’s marine and coastal environments. The fund enables sectors that use Scottish waters, such as aquaculture, fishing, energy and shipping, to voluntarily contribute to the health and biodiversity of Scotland’s seas by creating a grant pot. This is then distributed to marine nature enhancement projects across the country.

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Under the scheme, £33,889 was granted to British Divers Marine Life Rescue for a mobile command and control centre to assist stranded marine animals. For the first time, this gives the rescue team the ability to deploy a vehicle that can support them at a rescue site – this is vital, as 80% of the UK’s mass strandings happen in Scotland.

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) received over £101,087 to purchase new survey equipment for their sailing vessel, such as hydrophones, acoustic recorders, navigation equipment and cameras. This will allow the best quality data to be collected for years to come, as well as to revamp their citizen science reporting app, Whale Track.

Alison Lomax of HWDT said, “The funding

allowed for the first substantial upgrade of the acoustic setup on Silurian since HWDT’s acoustic monitoring began more than 20 years ago. It really has marked a transformative step-change in our capability to assess the changing soundscape of the west coast marine environment and unearth what is potentially causing barriers to nature recovery in Scotland’s seas.”

Examples of other projects funded include £68,897 to the St Andrews Link Trust to support work to recharge and strengthen the dune system to protect against storm floods; £256,852 to the Glasgow Science Centre to create a unique floating reed bed system in the Canting Basin in the Clyde; and £57,188 to WWF Scotland to increase capacity for seagrass restoration.

Drone shot of the seaweed farm Image: Chalmers Creative

Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan said: “Marine environments across the globe remain under severe threat from both climate change and biodiversity loss. In order to mitigate their destructive effects and protect our marine environment, a collective effort that reaches across all sectors of society will be needed both now and in the future.

“SMEEF is a prime example of effective cooperative action between the public and private sector, backed by responsible, value-led investment contributing towards the shared goal of protecting and enhancing our natural environment.

“I congratulate the projects that have received funding and I look forward to seeing the tangible and lasting impact that they will no doubt have on Scotland’s seas and coastal areas.”

Sarah Brown, SMEEF Project Manager, added: “It’s wonderful to see all these creative and vital projects coming to life, supported with this innovative new type of funding. Our future depends on tackling the nature and climate change crises and our coasts and seas are so important in that fight. This fund supports the recovery and enhancement of our rich marine environment, helping to ensure Scotland’s spectacular coasts and seas are healthy, resilient and productive for future generations.

Scotland is delighted to see this partnership between the public and private sectors delivering positive impacts for Scotland’s precious marine environment.

“The huge variety of projects it has supported will make a difference to the many diverse communities and users of Scotland’s marine environment.

”We know there are plenty more great projects out there that we would love to support - but we need more funds if we are going to scale up our efforts to recover nature in our seas. Please get in touch if you’d like to help!”

“We would encourage anyone spending time around our coasts and seas to consider donating to enable the continued success of the fund.”

SMEEF is hosted by NatureScot, and managed jointly with core funders, Scottish Government Marine Directorate and Crown Estate Scotland.

Ronan O’Hara, Chief Executive of Crown Estate Scotland, said:"Crown Estate

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WHALE SHARK -

THE MONK IN THE SEA History is fascinating, often the natural world can be found across the ages in religious context all over the globe. For example, in Egypt, many animals are sacred to the deities - cats to Bastet, ibises and baboons to Thoth, beetles to Khepera. The list really does go on.

Whilst reading ancient religious texts, writer Madhumay Mallik came across an artefact mentioning one of the biggest living non-mammalian vertebrate - the Whale Shark.

Words by: Madhumay Mallik Instagram: @dandelion.diaries Twitter: @madmyst619 Facebook: madhumay.mallik Photographer:Charan Kumar Paidi Instagram: @charan_whale_shark Photographer: Nasser Khanjary Instagram: @Nkhanjary @Omantascuba

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FEATURE - WHALE SHARK

Whale shark congregation for feeding Photo by Nasser Khanjary

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Photo by Charan K Paidi Whale Shark in the Indian Ocean

H

Times have changed

istory is fascinating. Browsing through ancient religious texts, something unique had caught my attention. I stumbled upon the digitized accounts of “Corpus Inscription Indicarium” or the Barhut Inscriptions, published in 1934 by Prof. Benimadhab Barua, from the Department of Sanskrit and Ancient Indian History and Culture of the University of Calcutta and also a former Government of India Scholar.

Prof. Barua mentions a second-century BC artefact from Central India called the Timingala Jataka Medalion, depicting a large fish swallowing a boat with three men on-board! The interpretations that follow, talks about the fish’s similarity to a whale shark and how the merchants pray to Lord Buddha to save their lives!

‘Namo Buddhdya’ Hearing the name, the interpretation says, that the whale shark realizes that Lord Buddha has presented himself and that it should spare the lives of the innocent men that have been drawn into its massive jaws. A Chinese-Buddhist translation of the scripture also says that the fish remembers being a monk in the previous life. Some other translations of the Barhut also point to a story where the whale shark starves itself to be reborn as Dharmaruchi, a Buddhist monk, much revered among followers, even today.

I have been lucky to see this marvellous creature off the coasts of Gujarat. The largest fish in the ocean, it has been recorded to measure 40 feet. As it opens its jaws to suck in the krill, it is possible that a small boat could as well be pulled in with the swell. It’s intimidating but at the same time, it is perhaps one of the most docile animals to exist. Living on a diet of plankton, krill and the kind, it is harmless to humans. It could well be a monk! Someone in the pages of history must have seen and immortalized the fish’s resemblance to the pious lives that monks live, turning it into folklore.

This is one of the many reasons that divers across the world look forward to seeing a whale shark in the wild. Swimming with the world’s largest fish is something that is still there on my checklist of “things to do before I die”!

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The shores that turned the whale shark into a monk were also the shores that saw them being hunted in massive numbers not long ago. Before the turn of the 20th century, these gentle giants were slaughtered for their liver oil and meat along the western coasts of India, in Gujarat. One report suggests a count of more than 600 whale sharks being killed between 1999 and 2000. Highlighted by a documentary by Mike Pandey that went on to win several awards, ‘Shores of Silence’ triggered a massive campaign by conservationists across India. The Indian Government acted on it by giving it the highest degree of protection, under Schedule 1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), an NGO working on conservation, turned to another monk to gather the public’s support for the fish’s protection. It was Morari Bapu, a popular spiritual leader who appealed to the masses. The Whale Shark was nicknamed Vhali, or ‘the dear one’.

People, especially the coastal community, followed. The Forest Department pulled its resources to compensate fishermen who cut their nets to release whale sharks that were accidentally caught in their hauls.

Between 2004 and 2023, close to 910 whale sharks were released by fishermen back into the ocean. WTI continues working with the fishermen’s community and Vhali has turned into a mascot for the state today. but, the pious shores are still at risk Marine pollution has been increasing and there are more trawlers at sea. The campaign by WTI in the State of Gujarat has now been extended to the whole of the

western coast of India, including the states of Kerala and Karnataka, which are the aggregation grounds for the whale sharks.

This past year, there have been massive beach clean-up drives alongside awareness events across the coastal communities, schools, colleges and eco-clubs. In a period of 4 months, volunteers with the campaign have been able to assist in the release of 4 whale sharks that were accidentally caught in fishing nets and dragged to the shore. The monk in the sea has been able to regain its followers, who are dedicating their lives to bring back these shores to their past glory.

A whale shark that was satellite tagged by WTI in November 2017 on the coast of Saurashtra made its way to Oman – 1600 kilometers in under 100 days. But not a lot is known about the whale shark and it still lives a fairly mythical existence. But we do know that it is as gentle as giants can be and we need to protect their kind.

Photo by Madhumay Mallik Kids with Whale Shark Flag

Photo by Madhumay Mallik Whale Shark caught in a trawler fish net - Madhumay works as a part of the conservation effort.

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DISCOVER BRITISH MARINE WILDLIFE ON NATIONAL MARINE WEEK 22ND JULY - 6TH AUGUST 2023 Photo by IFISH PHOTOGRAPHY INSTAGRAM: @CONKERNATUREMAGAZINE EMAIL: INFO@CONKERNATURE.COM FACEBOOK: CONKER NATURE TWITTER: @CONKERNATURE YOUTUBE: @CONKERNATURE PINTEREST: @CONKERNATURE

WILD WONDERS

IMAGE: FREEBORNE MEDIA

Wild Show Watch Out: Reminder to watch!

Natural History Museum: Saving Planet Earth |Channel 5 - Release: 10th May 8pm

IMAGE: NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Wild Show Watch Out

Our Oceans | Freeborne Media, Wild Space Productions Releasing in: 2024 Oceans are the beating heart of our planet yet so much remains unknown, unexplored and undiscovered. From the tropical warm waters of the Indian Ocean, to the fiery depths of the Atlantic, from the unpredictable waters of the Pacific that are surrounded by a ring of fire, to the freezing isolation of the Southern and Arctic Oceans, Our Oceans explores the magical world of wonders that lies beneath the waves.

Natural History Musuem: Saving Planet Earth, launching on Wednesday 10 May at 8pm on Channel 5. Bill Nighy narrates this UNMISSABLE look at one of the greatest and most popular museums in the world – the Natural History Museum, London. The 4 x 60 minute (weekly) series introduces the teams keeping it up and running and the scientists working behind the scenes uncovering incredible discoveries about our natural world; from billion-year-old meteorites and dinosaur fossils to the wildlife in the Museum’s own garden. They’re on a mission to save our planet and travel the world to learn more about the natural world in all its incredible glory.

They say we know more about space than our own oceans. Across the several seas, this documentary will explore the seven seas that are teeming with life, danger, and mysteries begging to be discovered.

In episode 1, space expert Ashley King, Future Leader Fellow, UKRI, makes the greatest discovery of his career as he studies the Winchcombe Meteorite – the first meteorite to land and be recovered in the UK in 30 years – as he hopes to answer if meteorites hold the key to all life on Earth.

Wild Show Watch Out

He’s working on an ongoing study, looking at biological material and water on the meteorite, which sheds light on the early formation of the solar system.

Our Water World |Freeborne Media, Wild Space Productions - Releasing in: 2025 From the executive producer of Blue Planet II, Our Water World explores the incredible freshwater systems that help our planet thrive and, without which, life could not exist. From Earth’s icy realms, to its rushing rivers and epic waterfalls, to magical cloud forests, this is the mysterious, surprising and captivating story of our planet’s extraordinary freshwater worlds.

This is the story of the initial find. More recent research has been focussed around the origins of water on earth and how meteorite like Winchcombe may have bought water to Earth.

And there’s the monthly giant sleepover, where 500 children and their parents and guardians can sleep with the dinosaurs, while the staff try to contain the excitement and the chaos, by creating a night to remember amongst the museum’s incredible collection.

WILD BOOK ROUND UP DEEP BLUE: MY OCEAN JOURNEYS Ebury Publishing | £22

In this immersive volume, the beloved naturalist and broadcaster delivers a love letter to the world's oceans and their remarkable creatures, whilst also issuing a stark warning about the environmental damage that continues to afflict them.

Releasing on the 21st September 2023.

THE LOST RAINFORESTS OF BRITAIN Harper Collins Publishing | £10.99

A Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month for May 2023 and the Sunday Times Bestseller.

Tracing the unexpected remnants and legacy of the temperate rainforests of Britain's past, this revelatory book by the author of Who Owns England? travels from the Western Highlands to Cornwall in pursuit of these neglected ecosystems.

From the bestselling author of Who Owns England?, a mesmerising chronicle of our forgotten rainforests - and an inspiring intervention to help restore them to the places they once were.

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THE BOOK OF WILDING Bloomsbury Publishing | £35.00 A blueprint for how to rewild the world around us.

The enormity of climate change and biodiversity loss can leave us feeling overwhelmed. How can an individual ever make a difference?

Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell know firsthand how spectacularly nature can bounce back if you give it the chance. And what comes is not just wildlife in super-abundance, but solutions to the other environmental crises we face.

The Book of Wilding is a handbook for how we can all help restore nature. It is ambitious, visionary and pragmatic.

Hawksbill Turtle Swimming over the Shallow Reef, Raja Ampat, Indonesia ©Ifish Photography

NATURAL WORLD BOOK OF THE MONTH TURNING THE TIDE ON PLASTIC: HOW HUMANITY (AND YOU) CAN MAKE OUR GLOBE CLEAN AGAIN

By Lucy Siegle | Orion Publishing Co | £8.99 Without big action, at the current rate, pieces of plastic will outnumber fish in the ocean by 2050.

That is the legacy we are leaving our children and grandchildren.

‘E

Follow Lucy at: Instagram: @theseagull Twitter: @lucysiegle Linkedin: Lucy Siegle

nough plastic is thrown away every year to circle the world 4 times.

More than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year.

300 million tonnes of new plastic is produced every year.

An estimated 15-51 trillion pieces of plastic now litter the world's oceans.

38.5 million plastic bottles are used every day in the UK. A million plastic bottles are used per minute around the world.

Plastic flows into our lives from every direction and most of it is not recycled. Instead it is incinerated or ends up in landfill, where it will sit for hundreds of years, or enters the world's seas where it fragments into tiny pieces to become microplastics - the environmental scourge of our times.

Many of us had assumed that governments, brands and waste authorities were dealing with plastic on our behalf. But the impact of shows such as Blue Planet along with national beach cleans and high-profile campaigns have resulted in a collective wake-up call. If there were plans and strategies, they have not worked as we imagined. It would be easy to feel despondent but instead we need to turn our anger and emotion into action, starting by making a big dent in our own enormous consumption.

Turning the tide on Plastic is here just in time.

Journalist, broadcaster and eco lifestyle expert Lucy Siegle provides a powerful call to arms to end the plastic pandemic along with the tools

we need to make decisive change. It is a cleareyed, authoritative and accessible guide to help us to take decisive and effective personal action.

Because this matters. When it comes to singleuse plastics, we are habitual users, reaching out for plastic water bottles, disposable coffee cups, plastic straws and carrier bags multiple times a day. If only 12 of us adopt Lucy's 'reduce, rethink, refill, refuse' approach, we could potentially ditch 3K-15K single items of plastic in a year. When we consider our power as influencers - whether at school, the hairdressers, at work or on the bus - we suddenly become part of something significant.

So now is the time to speak up, take action and demand the change you want to see in the ocean, in the supermarket aisles and on the streets. It's time to turn the tide on plastic, and this book will show you how.

'Feisty, excellent journalism, as you'd expect from Lucy Siegle, but also great practical ways we can all kick the plastic habit and start turning the tide. A must-buy, must-read book' - KATE HUMBLE

500 million plastic straws are used per year.

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