The sun shone and a cooling breeze set the scene at Croyde and attracted an ideal number of guides and visitors for our first public rock-pooling of the season. Around 30 of us set off down the beach, a mix of members, and children and their parents in roughly equal measure.
Soon crabs of all sizes were spotted by several keen and energetic youngsters. Fish were more elusive, only a few Common Blenny and one tiny juvenile. The Umbrella base-camp aquarium stewarded by Brian Heath (pictured R) became temporary home to them, along with the usual cast of anemones, prawns, snails, and starfish. There they could be enjoyed by all before being returned, the final act of an enjoyable visit.
A few of the most enthusiastic stayed on to scour the shallow pools amongst the mid shore rocks. There with Janice and Paula to guide them, one lucky family shared some great finds – the tiny elusive Solar-powered sea slug, Elysia viridis (Pictured R), and its larger relative, the Sea Hare, easily overlooked if not for the tell-tale string of eggs laid nearby. And the best came last as Rob Durrant returned from his exploration of the lowest shore with a beautiful Candy-striped Flatworm (Pictured R), a first for Coastwise shore-watchers.