Warm seas tempt rare marine wildlife

Jake Meeus-Jones explains why the South West is home to species that habitually live far to the south

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EXPERTS say warming sea temperatures have caused unprecedented changes to the wildlife on the Devon coastline with record numbers of birds which would usually be found in Spain and France.

The environmental charity MARINElife conducted surveys off Lyme Bay, off the East Devon coast, earlier this month, looking at the numbers of wildlife off the coast, and scientists were astonished to see huge numbers of animals usually seen in traditionally warmer water, off continental Europe.

Tom Brereton, of MARINElife, said his team counted 1,920 Balearic shearwater birds on one day surpassing the previous UK record site day count of 1,145 made in 2023, up by a startling 68%.

The Balearic shearwater is critically endangered and is typically found in the Balearic Islands, east of Spain, before migrating north to the Bay of Biscay between western France and northern Spain - for moulting.

In recent years, increasing numbers of post-breeding Balearic shearwater birds have shifted north to the English Channel, coinciding with warming sea temperatures and northward shifts in anchovies.

Other rare sea creatures were also seen on the trip - including tuna fish usually seen in the Canary Islands, driven north by sea temperatures and an ecosystem shift.