Eel met by sunlight

On a rare warm evening, we did some rock-pooling at Kingsdown, followed by fish and chips in the setting sun. The tide was going out, leaving pools in the chalk platform and among the flint pebbles.

Streams of cold fresh water from the chalk hills flow from the shingle beach, and this had confused an eel that was trying to swim inland.

After a brief discussion on the principles of helping old ladies back across a busy road that they have just crossed (i.e. did the eel actually want to be helped?) it was decided to return it to the sea as otherwise it would have been stranded and left to the mercy of nearby herring gulls.



It's not easy to pick up an eel, by the way.


Browsing the usual Wiki-thing, I see that European eels are declining because of environmental factors, overconsumption and the introduction of parasites from farming stocks [that oft-repeated litany - sigh] and that IUCN have included them in their Red list.

From a personal point of view, I find their taste when jellied to be quite revolting and they may be reassured that I shall never touch them again.

Thanks guys!

There were also some starfish slowly slithering along in the shallows .....

..... and small dogfish dashed; whelks and winkles wandered, while sea anemones ...um... angled for food?     

Lovely evening.     Do not take living by the sea for granted.