Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
If we do not hit our goal we will be forced to close the site.

Current status: https://keepboardsalive.com/

Annual subs are best for most impact. If you are still undecided on going Ad Free - you can also donate using the Paypal Donate option. All contribution helps. Thank you.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.

Donabate Beach, sea creatures washed out on the beach on 19th February

  • 20-02-2017 12:03PM
    #1
    haminka
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 564 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    can please anyone help me identify those sea animals we found washed out on the Donabate Beach? The sea star is on its back, it was brownish on the top.
    I found this creature on the internet but it's supposed to be native to warmer waters, the likes of Mediterranean (sea mouse):


    409790.jpg409791.jpg409792.jpg


Comments

  • #2
    Half-cocked
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,319 ✭✭✭Half-cocked


    Hi, yes it is a Sea Mouse. That type does occur in Irish waters, usually in deeper water. The 2nd photo is a Brittle Star, a close relative of the Starfish. I found quite a few washed up along the same stretch of coast. There were also large numbers of shellfish washed up. Don't know if it was a natural occurrence caused by weather or something more sinister such as dredging.


  • #3
    haminka
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 564 ✭✭✭haminka


    Thank you, Half-cocked, that's really great to know. We like going to Donabate and collect seashells but yesterday it was the first time we've seen so many shells at once, some of them really unusual and beautiful (I will post their photos later on). We tried to return some of the sea stars and still living shells back to the sea, hope they survived.


  • #4
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    There are some shocking looking pics of similar on Portmarnock beach on this thread I started:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057707760


  • #5
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,081 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    There was/is a similar situation on Dollymount Strand a couple of weeks ago immediately after those very stormy days we had. There were thousands of gulls feeding on what was washed up, a very impressive sight!


  • #6
    haminka
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 564 ✭✭✭haminka


    It doesn't let me add a new photo into a comment in my original thread so this is a photo of sea shells we saw yesterday on Donabate Beach.

    (Mod Note: post moved)


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,698 ✭✭✭tricky D


    There were some massive and deep swells coming from the east last week. Some of the biggest I've ever seen. They were easily topping the Howth's East Pier at mid-tide, and lower. I reckon parts of the lower littoral got hammered, scraped and torn up resulting in the carnage.


  • #8
    haminka
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 564 ✭✭✭haminka


    Thank you, tricky, this could be it. We were horrified and felt so sorry for the creatures.


  • #9
    Alun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 21,530 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    tricky D wrote: »
    There were some massive and deep swells coming from the east last week. Some of the biggest I've ever seen. They were easily topping the Howth's East Pier at mid-tide, and lower. I reckon parts of the lower littoral got hammered scraped and torn up resulting in the carnage.
    Learnt something new today! I'd never heard that term used before.


  • #10
    Esel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,376 ✭✭✭✭Esel
    Not Your Ornery Onager


    Alun wrote: »
    Learnt something new today! I'd never heard that term used before.

    Riparian. :)

    Not your ornery onager



  • #11
    ThunderCat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭ThunderCat


    OpenYourEyes wrote: »
    There was/is a similar situation on Dollymount Strand a couple of weeks ago immediately after those very stormy days we had. There were thousands of gulls feeding on what was washed up, a very impressive sight!





    Saw the same on Laytown/Bettystown beach at the weekend also. Never seen so many gulls.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement