Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
West country beaches is a useful free app that covers the region's best sands. You can download it from
Sea Life
The most spectacular visitor to southwest waters is the basking shark, (the second-largest
fish in the ocean after the whale shark), which can often be seen off the coast of Cornwall
in the summer months. Despite its fearsome bulk - the average shark measures between
6m and 8m long - it's entirely harmless to humans, sustaining itself entirely on plankton
and other forms of microscopic marine life. Some other species of shark, including the
mako, porbeagle and blue shark, are rather less friendly, although you'll be unlikely to en-
counter them unless you happen to have hauled them up from the deep on a sea fishing
trip.
Grey seals are another common sight along the southwest coastline. You might occa-
sionally catch sight of a grey head or two bobbing in the waters off the Devon and
Cornish coasts, but most of the region's seal colonies tend to cluster on small offshore is-
lands, especially around the coasts of Cornwall and Scilly.
Sightings of dolphins and porpoises are rarer, but you might find them accompanying
you if you take a boat trip. The best places for land-based sightings are generally the far
westerly coastlines around Land's End, Cape Cornwall and West Penwith.
Jellyfish occasionally venture into southwest waters in the warmer months, and al-
though poisonous or stinging species are unusual, it's best to steer clear if you see one.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
(
www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
) manages many beauty spots and wildlife
reserves across Cornwall. Devon has its own sister organisation.
