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The Beast from the East

The beast from the east may be over but the aftermath is still being felt on the Northumberland coast. Since the snow has melted, our volunteers have been incredibly busy on our beaches; assisting with litter picks, recording dead animals and rescuing injured wildlife.

The extreme weather has resulted in big seas, bringing with it large chunks of litter onto the beaches. Plastic is the main offender with one volunteer finding a plastic sachet of luxury conditioner priced at 4D. This item can consequently been in our oceans since at least the 1970’s!

Luxury Shampoo from 1970's- Mandy Sharman

Lots of fishing gear has also washed up as lobster pots get tangled up and tore apart by the big seas. Our volunteers have been incredible, spending many hours patrolling the beaches and removing this ghost fishing gear to protect our marine life.

Big seas have a huge impact on our wildlife. The sea bed is churned up and as a result many marine animals such as starfish, lobsters, octopus and cuttlefish have been washed up. These conditions make it difficult for seabirds to feed and many become exhausted and regrettably perish as a result. Unfortunately hundreds of seabirds, particularly Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins have been found along our coastline with more birds turning up each day as the effects of the storm continue to cause harm.

Dead seabirds from Beast from the East

Larger marine animals such as seals, porpoise and dolphins have also been affected with our volunteers uncovering several seal pups and interestingly, chunks of cetaceans such as dorsal fins. Many seals can be seen resting on our beaches and it is vital that they are given space to recuperate. When visiting our beaches, if you find a seal, please give them plenty of space and keep dogs away. If the animal appears to be injured, please seek advice from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765546

"I met some wonderful people and really felt that my work helped make a difference to my local area."

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