Monthly talk: Toby Sherwin – Life between the tides
Our programme of monthly meetings for 2024 got off to an excellent start with one of our largest ever attendances, topping 50, including several people who were having a ‘taster’ session as they consider whether to become members.
Toby Sherwin, one of our own members, has had a career as a professional physical oceanographer and is now an amateur marine biologist. As founder of Shores of South Devon marine life interest group no-one is better qualified to talk to us about the life on our own stretch of seashore.
Toby took us on a virtual walk from Cockwood Harbour, under the sluice gates, towards the Warren, past the Red Rock, the town beach, Boat Cove and ending at Coryton Cove. Under his expert guidance, we learned about the different habitats on that journey (rocks, mudflats, shipwrecks, beaches) and the wealth of wildlife you can observe – if you know what you are trying to find.
I suspect I am not alone in being sadly ignorant about what is just in front of me as I walk along the sea wall, cycle the Exe Estuary Trail, or enjoy a drink and the view at Cockwood. Toby shared over 40 pictures of some remarkable creatures showing that we really do not have to travel the world with David Attenborough to find extraordinary creatures, some truly bizarre life stories and important habitats and ecosystems which deserve understanding and protection. The humble barnacle, Pacific oysters, some dazzlingly coloured sea weeds, crabs, sea slugs, sea anemones, bivalves and much else are all there for us to discover.
This selection of his slides shows a beadlet anemone, pink coral weed in a rockpool, Facelina auriculata sea slug, Langstone rocks and edible winkle tracks.
For those who would like to know more, then why not visit shoresofsouthdevon.org.uk and also the Facebook and Instagram sites with the same name.
I feel sure that those visitors who came to find out about our u3a can only have enjoyed this talk, and I look forward to meeting them again either in the Manor House on 19th February or at one of our interest groups throughout the month.
John Vick
Photos by Toby Sherwin