Seals, Hermits and Little Fishes - Family Seashore Specials

Our family activity at Killinallan yesterday was amazing, 13 children and 10 adults had a mini adventure, skiddling about on the seashore, turning over seaweed and swishing the nets to discover lots and lots of hermit crabs of all sizes and styles of mobile home! We had lots of little fishes, sand shrimps and little boggle eyed Opossum Shrimps. Two shy butterfish, and a blob of jelly that turned out to be a Sea Hare. There were shore crabs the size of your finger nail and ones the size of your hand, brandishing defensive nippy claws! Various types of sea snail were plucked from the weed, some had barnacles on their backs and a lovely sea anemone attached to some seaweed opened out nicley in our tray. We investigated the signs of lugworms that were buried under the sand and explained the worm casts were really worm poo, the result of feeding on the particles attached to the sand. The Grey seals were basking on the sand bank across the water opposite us and sang their songs. The tide eventually decided it wanted to come in and would lift the trays, so we set all the creatures free and headed off for tea! For those of you who missed this fun session come along to Port Mor (Port Charlotte campsite/football pitch) on Monday (6th) 2pm and meet us in the car park for some rockpooling down on the shore. Fiona