58


‘Lanny’ is an ASI enclosed and exposed paddle board instructor, marine biologist and environmental educator. She holds years of experience leading guided coastal and river boat trips in and around Dartmouth and local areas, so she knows the area like the back of her hand.


By Alana Bonnick. OWNER OF THE PADDLE SHACK


Devon Coast Wildlife H


ere on our beautiful south Devon coastline you can find an abundance of life. This is down to the


complex and varied habitats that can be found here, from the weird and wonderful world beneath the waves, to our rocky shores, craggy cliffs and even up high in the sky. This area encompasses an array of habitats which help make Devon’s coastal waters and shoreline some of the UK’s most diverse. So much of Devon’s brightest, weirdest and wonderful wildlife remains hidden from us, living in a world beneath the waves. Down to hard work and perseverance we now have 15


marine conservation zones within Devon waters including coastal temperate reefs, offshore pelagic zones and some of our most spectacular estuaries, just like our very own river Dart estuary. Let’s take a look at some of these incredible habitats and the wildlife that lives within. In our deep, pelagic seas just a couple of miles out to sea we are lucky to be visited by some of the world’s migrating ocean giants. One of


these visitors is the second largest fish in the sea: the basking shark. In the summer months you may be lucky enough to encounter one of these friendly giants charting its gentle course through our waters, feeding on plankton on its way. We even get the odd whale migrating past, on their long voyages across the world. These include minke whales, fin whales, humpbacks and even orcas have been seen around Devon’s coastal waters, although


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100