Helford Conservation Cruise

Bycharli

1st July 2012

The 19th Annual Conservation cruise set off on a dry day with a few grey clouds and
a brisk westerly wind. The “Enterprise” boat skipper with his intimate knowledge of
the channels and mud banks took us high up into the creeks, the haunt of shelduck,
sandpiper, redshank, heron and little egret.

A peregrine falcon gave a stunning aerial display over Dennis Head, whilst a sparrowhawk
swooped along the woodland edge in the upper creeks where two pairs of shelduck with
grey downy chicks could be seen awaiting the fall of the tide.

Ancient oak woodland fringed much of the shoreline contrasting with the impressive Sea-
Core Fugro drilling platforms at Gweek.

Sea-water tanks on-board with National Trust volunteers, gave an opportunity to see
various shore species such as crabs and anemones at close quarters.

Whilst the 100 passengers were charmed by the beauty of the trees above the ruffled
water, they also enjoyed their tea or coffee as they learnt more about the birds, the fish
and fishing, management of the land and woods, geology, local history and industries and
most importantly the whole marine web of life.

Sailors and land-lubbers alike appreciated the timeless beauty of the secluded waters,
muddy creeks, woodland tapestry and rocky shores and the importance of protection for
this vulnerable sheltered arm of the sea.

Andrew Tompsett

Edible crab. Image: Pam Tompsett.
Helford Marine Conservation Cruise. Image: Pam Tompsett.

Similar Posts

  • Rockpool Ramble at Prisk Cove

    Bycharli

    21st August 2012

    The weather didn’t bode well for our Rockpool Ramble event at Prisk on Tuesday 21st August, with heavy showers hitting hard as we drove to our meeting point. However, by the time we all assembled at Mawnan Church car park the sun was shining and the afternoon turned out to be warm and beautiful. We were a small group with only three families from Helston, Truro and Perranporth, and a keen naturalist from Penzance who very kindly recorded our day’s findings for the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. I was also joined by three enthusiastic members of the Helford Marine Conservation Group – Paul Garrard, Dave Thompson and Rhiannon Pipkin.

  • Plankton on Parade

    Byjeff

    Saturday, 13th November 2010

    The term ‘plankton’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘wanderer’ or ‘made to wander’,an apt description for creatures which drift at the mercy of winds and currents. Some are large and easily seen – the Macroplankton, such as jellyfish and the Portuguese man-o’-war. Others are small – the Microplankton, which measure a millimetre or so across – or less – and are studied using a microscope. These are collected with a conical fine-mesh net swept or towed through the water and they include a great variety of plants and animals, in adult or larval stages. There is a third, even smaller, size category – the Nanoplankton, such as coccolithophores, which are just a few microns across and only seen with the aid of an electron microscope.

  • Rockpool Ramble

    Byjeff

    30 August 2007

    Out at sea, yachts were heeIing in a brisk wind. Onshore, all eyes were directed downwards as Ruth Williams explained the mysteries and delights of the Rosemullion rockpools to 9 persons (and a dog). It must he admitted, since it was our dog, that the latter was more interested in splashing than learning: and his curiosity to discover why we were staring quietly and intently into the water was of no help in persuading timid creatures to emerge from their hiding places.

  • Helford Conservation Cruise

    Byjeff

    Sunday, 21st June 2009

    It was a glorious day – the sort of weather one always hopes for, with a warm sun, hardly a cloud in the sky and negligible breeze. The boat was unfortunately late in arriving, but the 100 passengers were very patient, enjoying the sunshine, watching holidaymakers and having an occasional ice cream. Setting off, we motored up Porth Navas Creek to see the Duchy Oyster Farm and Childrens’ Sailing Club, then across to the mouth of Frenchman’s Creek, where Justin Whitehouse of the National Trust took up the commentary.

  • Wreck and Torpedoes to Coastwatch – the extraordinary history of Nare Point.

    Byjeff

    5th December 2009

    Nare Point, at the south-east corner of the Helford estuary, appears to be unremarkable, just another of the many Cornish headlands although with a look-out post on top. But if an author had decided to weave a story about it, such as was about to be told by our two speakers from the National Coastwatch Institution, Paul Phillips and Len Jepp, he would be accused of having a fevered imagination.