Beneath the Waves - Fo ny Tonnyn

The food and nutrients brought by the currents support a rich complex of marine life which clings tightly to the underwater rock surfaces or feeds in the waters themselves.

In the shallow waters which the sunlight easily penetrates, the bedrock amongst the kelp is covered by carpets of sea squirts, Plumose Anemones and hydroids (formed from colonies of polyps) which filter out the tiny plankton swept past them in the tidal currents. In the summer months massive Basking Sharks congregate around the Calf to feed on plankton.

In deeper waters the gravel seabed is home to lobsters and crabs, which disturb the seabed whilst digging for food. Outcrops of rock are grazed by sea urchins or colonised by anemones and hydroids. Other rock ridges support sponges, different species of anemones and bryozoans (colonies of tiny animals which are protected either by a shell-like ‘skeleton’ or a gelatinous blob!). Some marine worms create chalky shells around themselves in which to withdraw from danger. They often live together in colonies, and their coiled or tubular shells can be found on pebbles and seaweed on the shore.

Rock reefs around the Calf can teem with life, with sea anemones, sponges, the curious soft coral known as ‘Dead Man’s Fingers’ and many more creatures jostling for position in the food-rich currents.

Seals - Raunteeyn

The seal population consists mainly of Grey Seals which have a dog-like head. Grey Seals can be seen all year round in these waters, especially "hauled out" at low tide on Kitterland. The smaller Common Seals, which normally frequent the south east coast of Britain, have begun visiting the Isle of Man in recent years and in 2000 a pup was spotted on the Calf.

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