Tag: Ocean

Welsh Angels, by Hannah Rudd

Within the past week, scientists have observed one of the worlds rarest sharks alive and well off the Welsh coast.

Prior to these observations, it was believed that the Canary Islands were the last remaining stronghold of angel sharks globally, yet recent evidence suggests that they have a secret refuge in Welsh waters.

So what exactly are angel sharks?

Angel sharks (Squatina squatina) don’t really look like the stereotypical image of a shark at all – closer resembling a ray in shape – and as a result, this can cause confusion amongst record keepers and fishers, with catches sometimes being misidentified.

Belonging to the angel shark family (Squatinidae) – the second most threatened family of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) worldwide – angel sharks are large, flat-bodied demersal (bottom-dwelling) sharks listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and can reach 2.4 metres in length.

Typically inhabiting continental shelves to depths of 200m, angel sharks can also be located in estuaries and brackish waters and have recently been spotted off Cardigan Bay, the Bristol Channel and near Holyhead.

Once upon a time, angel sharks were vastly abundant, with a historical distribution from Norway to the West Sahara and the Canary Islands, including the Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Angel sharks are exceedingly rare and are one of the most endangered fish in European waters. In fact, worryingly they are listed as the fifth most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) sharks in the world, representing a potential loss of a distinctive branch of the tree of life.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) it is illegal to intentionally disturb, kill, injure, or kill angel sharks within 12 nautical miles of Welsh and English coastlines and for commercial fishers, it is illegal to target, retain, tranship or land angel sharks for all EU and third country vessels in EU waters.

However, before becoming a protected species, the angel shark was a prized catch by Welsh fishermen in the 1970s and 1980s, which may be the leading cause of a population crash from which they have never been able to recover.

Like many shark species, angel sharks have a low fecundity and a late maturity age resulting in a slow recovery rate, if any recovery, from population pressures.

Major threats to the continued depletion of angel shark populations include the intensification of demersal fishing practices, disturbance by divers and beach users, habitat degradation via pollution and coastal developments – particularly within their nursery grounds and aggregation areas – alongside lack of appropriate and enforced legislation for their protection.

Hope, however, is on the horizon.

The Angel Shark Conservation Network and the Angel Shark Project in the Canary Islands are two of the flagship projects that the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) funds, incorporating integral conservation and outreach work to safeguard the future of the angel shark.

In July 2018, Angel Shark Project: Wales was launched with the aim of establishing a clearer idea of where angel sharks are located within the Welsh coastline and recognising their role within Welsh maritime heritage.

Last week the Angel Shark Roadshow began in Nefyn on Friday 25th January and will be progressing on to Milford Haven, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Holyhead during February and March.

With the mission of accumulating community memories and fisher records of this elusive fish, conservationists hope to build a more consistent picture for the historical record of one of the world’s most threatened sharks.

Can’t attend the Angel Shark Roadshow?

Additional ways you can get involved with the conservation of the angelshark include volunteering as a citizen scientist, participating in Dive for Angel surveys and giving angelsharks a voice on social media.

Find out more here – https://angelsharknetwork.com/wales/ https://angelsharknetwork.com/

References

Compagno, L. J. V., Dando, M., & Fowler, S. (2005). Collins field guide: Sharks of the world. London, UK: Harper Collins.

https://angelsharknetwork.com/

https://www.zsl.org/conservation/regions/uk-europe/angel-shark-conservation

https://angelsharkproject.com/

Cover image: By greenacre8 – Angel Shark 6 Nov 06, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6379759

Cetaceans on the Northumbrian coast

Yesterday I experienced something new and otherworldly: discovering a new side to my home county – Northumberland, for those who haven’t yet guessed – on a ten-hour trip into the North Sea with Northern Experience Wildlife Tours. The trip delivering a surreal experience as, at long last, I was able to get up close and personal with cetaceans in local waters, and resulting in a number of simply jaw-dropping moments.

Setting out from Royal Quays, the first few hours served to build anticipation. The sight of countless seabirds over open water – Gannets, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Guillemots and more –  providing a welcome change from the norm, and a few Grey Seals, as ever, most welcome. It was not until the team at helm spotted a flock of Gannets feeding en masse, however, that things really picked up. The sight of myriad birds torpedoing downwards into the depths reminiscent of some Attenborough documentary; entrancing, at least until the birds lifted. Yielding the water to the barrel-like body of  Minke whale lunging up from the depths – the sight of this behemoth as it emerged and fell in one, surprisingly swift rolling motion, quite unlike anything I had ever seen before. Awe-inspiring – minkes may be relatively small in comparison to other baleen whales but they are still impressive beasts.

I missed the whale with my camera: intent on staring and enjoying, mouth agape, rather than fumbling for my lens. No matter. Moving further North, miles off-shore, there was plenty opportunity to take pictures – the sight of a single White-beaked Dolphin and its brief appearance at the bow of the boat a pleasing precursor to an experience quite unlike anything I have witnessed before, anywhere in the world.

White-beaked Dolphins – somewhere off the Northumberland coast

Soon enough, as we meandered our way North, our boat found itself accompanied by an escort of dolphins: one pod after another tailing the vessel before peeling off and leaving room for another entourage to join. The animals breaching incessantly at both sides, at times within touching distance, and providing the ideal opportunity for closer scrutiny. They really are magnificent animals: clad in alternating hues of grey but appearing almost blue and white under the water – far more attractive, dare I say, than the much more renowned Bottlenose dolphins we all know and love. Indeed, it is only while watching dolphins beneath the waves that one gets a sense of their true power – sturdy, rudder-like tails propelling them at a truly incredible pace.

Watching the dolphins break the surface of the water, it was possible to discern a few of the features that allow researchers to identify individual animals: scars, holes and pale patches lending the animals an individual sense of character and allowing easy separation from their kin. One individual, in particular, boasting a queer pink patch on its cranium became an instant favourite, and it was interesting to hear from those aboard that she had been observed with some frequency during previous excursions. I think recognition of individuals, and the connection that undoubtedly ensues, goes some way to explaining the unrivalled passion of cetacean researchers. They are an enthusiastic and terribly knowledgeable bunch!

This weekends boat trip will certainly go down in memory as a winner. While also allowing me to easily respond to those who claim that “true wilderness” and breath-taking wild spectacles exist only on [or around] far-off shores. Indeed, my only regret is that I did not get a proper look at a dolphin leaping entirely out of the water. That said, the sight of a few individuals ‘spinning’ as they departed the waves vertically on the horizon did make for an enchanting sight against the sunny Northumbrian skyline. And already has me planning my return.