0:00:01 > 0:00:06To follow some creatures you need a great head for heights.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Some people say I'm a bit like a mountain goat.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Coming down rather slowly today!
0:00:10 > 0:00:13For others, you need an eye for detail.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15I'll look at the patterns, but I'm not very good at that,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18because you've got to be female to see these pictures.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23Some require a leap into the great unknown.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26And for all, you need lots and lots of patience.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30We'll probably go in the house in two hours and they'll be jumping about.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32That's the beauty of it.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38A dedicated band of enthusiasts are watching over Britain's amazing coastal creatures.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43Four animals, four amateur naturalists, four inspiring stories.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13Britain has an amazing 11,000 miles of rich coastline.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15The sea is part of our national character.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19It affects our climate and provides a living for many people.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22By looking at the creatures that live here,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25we can learn a lot about what's happening out there.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31But it isn't the easiest place to study animals.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34This man looks like he's off to clean some windows,
0:01:34 > 0:01:39so why is he going to a remote spot on the north-east coast of Scotland?
0:01:39 > 0:01:41My family think I'm obsessed!
0:01:41 > 0:01:44That this mad interest in ornithology.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48But actually, I've got a very low boredom threshold,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50so it keeps me out of mischief.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52We're gonna go down by these gorse bushes here
0:01:52 > 0:01:54and I'm gonna swing to the right
0:01:54 > 0:01:57and that'll take us down the steeper part.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02I've been interested in natural history since I was a schoolboy.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06I started off as an egg collector, as many boys were in those days.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09When I got to secondary school I joined a bird club
0:02:09 > 0:02:14and they, kind of, switched me off egg collecting into nest recording.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21My daughter's mildly interested, but my son's actually quite keen.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24He's not quite so keen on the seabirds,
0:02:24 > 0:02:25he's not that happy on the cliffs.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28It's easy to see why.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It's a slippery, precipitous 100 metre journey
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and Bob has been doing this for 25 years.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38we have to watch the tide, that's the thing.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40We need to get back before the tide comes in
0:02:40 > 0:02:44or they'll be sending a helicopter out to rescue us, I would think!
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I think I can see a colony,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02it's just a fantastic sort of place to be in.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04All your senses are
0:03:04 > 0:03:06firing on all cylinders.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10The noise is a constant cacophony of sound
0:03:10 > 0:03:13as the birds are calling back and forward to each other.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17There's a constant activity of birds flying to and fro.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The smell is unbelievable!
0:03:20 > 0:03:22It's a combination of everything.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23It's just absolutely superb.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I recommend that everyone go and visit a seabird colony
0:03:26 > 0:03:30at least once, if they've got an interest in natural history.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Every ten days, during the summer months,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Bob gets in amongst the pandemonium.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43I'm gonna to try and catch this shag here. This is an adult male shag.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44It's quite aggressive.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It might look traumatic, but sometimes when we release them
0:03:50 > 0:03:54they're straight back in the nest within minutes.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06They're quite fearsome fighters.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We haven't had this one before,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13it's not got a ring on its leg, so I'm gonna give it a ring.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16These rings have got a unique number on them,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19so if anybody finds one of these
0:04:19 > 0:04:23they can send details to the British Museum about
0:04:23 > 0:04:25where they found it and when they found it
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and we can build up a picture of their movements.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33There are shags, razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes here.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36So many birds, so little time.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Here's one chipping. Look at the chick just about to come out.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Now this one I checked earlier,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45you can see that letter A and it's now got a small chick.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50We actually measure and weigh a sample of chicks each visit,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54just cos it's a good indication of what state the birds are in.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04So this one's weighing 124 grams, which is probably pretty good
0:05:04 > 0:05:10for a chick of this age, so I presume it's getting lots of fish coming in.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15You can see why they're called razorbills and a vicious hook
0:05:15 > 0:05:17they got on the end of their beak.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Guillemots, much nicer looking than shags.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Let's see what's in this shag nest here.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28We got one, two, three chicks, all different sizes.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Not the most beautiful of birds, you can see why birds
0:05:31 > 0:05:36certainly evolved from dinosaurs when you look at young shag chicks.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Again, you'll see the big difference in the size,
0:05:38 > 0:05:43so if there's a food shortage, the chances are this one won't make it.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48These are too small to ring, so I'm just gonna record what's in this nest
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and just put them back in there.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52So, that's got three young.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57Bob uses his data to write scientific papers and articles
0:05:57 > 0:05:59charting the fortunes of this colony.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03He also gives data to the National Sea Bird Survey.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Some of these birds live to over 50 years old,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10so long-term studies like Bob's are essential.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It's amazing when you look at a cliff like this,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17the birds actually come back to exactly the same bit
0:06:17 > 0:06:19year after year, after year.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24For instance, that nest there, that bird's been nesting in that exact bit of cliff
0:06:24 > 0:06:26ever since we've done this study.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32This is my photograph from the early '90s.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36And in that year, we had 46 nests in this cliff.
0:06:36 > 0:06:42Today, we're now reduced to just 11 active nests.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It's been a pretty major decline,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48which has happened all the way along this colony.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52It's almost certainly associated with changes in food supply.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55These birds feed quite heavily on sand eels
0:06:55 > 0:06:57and there just seems to be a lack of these.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Bob has a quarter of a century's worth
0:07:01 > 0:07:04of invaluable insight into the ups and downs of the colony.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08But now he's seen a serious drop in numbers. Why?
0:07:08 > 0:07:10It's quite a tricky issue, this.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14These kittiwakes have virtually produced no chicks
0:07:14 > 0:07:16for the past six years.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Obviously, if there is any sand eel fishery going on, really,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22that ought to be halted.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26There's some suggestion that
0:07:26 > 0:07:29we should have more marine conservation areas,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32where we've got areas of the seabed being protected.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36On their favour, these seabirds are exceptionally long-lived,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38if things do pick up in five, ten years' time,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41a large number of the birds will be around
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and will be able to reverse these declines.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47However, if global temperatures do keep increasing and increasing,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51as has been suggested and the seas do get warmer and warmer and warmer,
0:07:51 > 0:07:56then there's a possibility that these birds are in really serious trouble.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01It's absolutely vital we keep a handle on what's going on
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and that this is reported to the various conservation organisations,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07so governments take this seriously.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Our coastline needs long-term studies.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14The trouble is, there's so much of it,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17it can take whole teams of people to get the information
0:08:17 > 0:08:19that shows us what's going on.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Just 20 miles along the coast from Bob
0:08:21 > 0:08:24is another passionate amateur who has done just that.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Got the community together, but together to do what?
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Well, his nickname says it all.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37In this area and further a field, I'm known as Dolphin Pete.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40I get letters. I got one letter from France
0:08:40 > 0:08:44and it was just, Dolphin Peter, the Moray Firth, and it got here.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48No prizes for guessing that Pete MacDonald is fascinated by dolphins.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51But it's a fairly recent passion.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It started when he moved to Findochty,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56a fishing village on the Moray Firth.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00I'd been up in this area before and we came looking for a house.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04And we found Findochty,
0:09:04 > 0:09:09which is a beautiful little village and just fell in love with the place.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And we purchased this house on the strength of the view,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14more than the house, I think it was.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20One day in March I'm washing up and looking out there
0:09:20 > 0:09:23from the window and there was ten dolphins and we thought, "amazing".
0:09:23 > 0:09:26To see these animals from the house
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and they were there all day.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29It was just great.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33So we started keeping a little diary, just for ourselves.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37We met someone from Cullen, Buckie
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and every time we saw dolphins we would tell them,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44"The dolphins are heading your way," or "they're coming our way".
0:09:44 > 0:09:45We had about five or six people
0:09:45 > 0:09:48phoning each other when we saw some dolphins.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It just started like that.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54So, we thought, we'll just write up a newsletter of the sightings.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I think the newsletter started before the group, actually.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00The Friends of the Moray Firth Dolphins
0:10:00 > 0:10:04has now got over 200 dolphin watchers strung along the coast.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06This is the viewpoint in Findochty.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09The group were involved in building this.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11And there's always somebody here.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16It's a focal point for walkers and they have a little conversation
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and head off home, so, it's part of the community.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21If it's a bonny morning,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23you can be up here 5am / 6am in the morning.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27That's actually a very good time to see the dolphins.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30We'll probably go and the house in two hours' time
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and they'll be dolphins jumping around like anything.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36They may be elusive sometimes, but because bottle-nosed dolphins
0:10:36 > 0:10:40live in the Moray Firth, they're always somewhere to be found.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45A first we were just simply land-based watching
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and then a few years later, we decided to purchase a boat.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52I used to be a merchant seaman
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and I just fell in love with the ocean.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56In the summer, if it's a fine day,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00you'll see me out there every day, really.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Many a meal has been missed because dolphins have passed by.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Are you jumping in?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Sometimes you can come out for two hours,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19maybe go down to Cullen Bay and then come back again
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and then you meet the dolphins here.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25You just never know. It's always exciting when you come out because
0:11:25 > 0:11:28you never know what you're going to see or what will happen.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34We have land-based watching and sea-based watching and land-based
0:11:34 > 0:11:37is the easiest and the less intrusive for the animals.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Sea-based watching is a bit different because
0:11:40 > 0:11:43you're entering the space of the dolphins, you know?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46So you have to be a lot more careful.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We tend to just observe from a distance and if they want to come,
0:11:49 > 0:11:54and most of the time the big ones are hurtling towards you.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57I've seen at 15 dolphins swimming backwards looking up saying,
0:11:57 > 0:11:58"Come on, go faster!"
0:11:58 > 0:11:59He's there, look.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01On your right hand side!
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Dolphins are naturally curious
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and will often come up to a boat and ride the bow wave.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10An open invitation for some people to chase them.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14In the summer months, harassment is a real problem.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18We have jet skis, we have powerboats and they're just really awful,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20really, towards the dolphins.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24The group itself launched its own watch how you watch programme,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27to encourage people to watch the dolphins,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30but in a more sensible manner.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34If they're gonna go out in a boat, go out in an accredited boat
0:12:34 > 0:12:35and when you encounter dolphins,
0:12:35 > 0:12:40slow down and just take it easy with them. Let them come to you.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43As well as educating the public,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47the group also has monthly watches up and down the coast.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Pete gathers all these records of where and how many dolphins
0:12:51 > 0:12:56have been spotted and sends them to a national dolphin survey.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59When we first started watching,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03the official number was 76 dolphins and then one day a scientist
0:13:03 > 0:13:07came out with us and we saw loads and loads of dolphins,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10so the number's gone up to 130.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12But 130 isn't a lot.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17It's quite a population that's on the balance of surviving, I think.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22Pete feels that if the Moray Firth dolphins are to survive,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24he must get all ages on board.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Hello, boys and girls.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30Who's seen dolphins in Findochty?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Oh, everybody's seen dolphins!
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Such an amazing sight, isn't it?
0:13:36 > 0:13:38And it travels all around the Moray Firth.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39It goes from Inverness...
0:13:39 > 0:13:41'It's still amazing, 15 years on,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45'that some people haven't seen the dolphins here.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:47So, the idea of the group
0:13:47 > 0:13:49is to get as many local people involved as possible.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53We went down to the beach last week and in one hour we found
0:13:53 > 0:13:55all these things here.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Lots and lots of rubbish.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00'Pollution is rife in the Moray Firth, I think.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03'Whatever some people say,'
0:14:03 > 0:14:05you just go along for a walk on the beach
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and you pick up plastics and you pick up fishing nets
0:14:08 > 0:14:10and gloves and oil filters
0:14:10 > 0:14:15and that's the first visible sign of the seas not being treated fair.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18You're a dolphin swimming along and you see this on the surface.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22So you go and check it out and it just looks like a jellyfish
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and it gets stuck in their throats.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27- That's right.- And so animals died. - That's correct.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30One of the good things the group's done over the years,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33we've had four members of the group joined as children
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and in they're now marine biologists in their own right.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38One in Ireland's doing a great job
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and one in Australia, working with orcas.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45There are hopes to make the Moray Firth a marine park,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48giving all wildlife more protection.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Pete believes that the more dolphin watchers he can recruit,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54the more chance this plan has of becoming a reality.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Every sighting is an important sighting
0:14:57 > 0:15:00because this is the sort of evidence they're looking for
0:15:00 > 0:15:04when building up information about how you get a marine park,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06what justifies a marine park.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09We have bottle-nose dolphins coming along your coast.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12What more could you need?
0:15:14 > 0:15:18There are only three marine nature reserves in the whole of the UK,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21and they are very important refuges for our wildlife,
0:15:21 > 0:15:22as well as for research.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25But just because somewhere is made into a reserve
0:15:25 > 0:15:27doesn't mean it is safe.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Marine parks definitely need their amateur champions, too.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Today, I'm taking part in a survey.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43We're monitoring sea urchins,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46checking them for size and population.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Also we're doing a survey also on the local starfish population.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Dave Kennard is a plumber and sports diver.
0:15:56 > 0:16:02He's joining 20 other amateurs on a Pembrokeshire beach in South Wales.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06All of them are passionate about conserving our underwater world.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11First of all, thank you all for coming.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Well done. It's really good timing.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's 9:36, so we've done pretty well this morning.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Kate Locke is a marine officer for Skomer Nature Reserve
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and has gathered together all these volunteers
0:16:22 > 0:16:26to monitor the sea urchin population around the island.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31We're working in a one-metre band either side of the tape.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33On your slate, record where you're seeing it,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36so it's 1.4 metres - write that down.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39You take your callipers against your urchin
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and you read off the size of the urchin from that.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Urchins are almost like an indicator
0:16:48 > 0:16:50of the general health of the reserve.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53They're a grazer - the rabbits of the sea shore.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57That gives opportunity then for other things to come in and colonise.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59We're interested in what the populations
0:16:59 > 0:17:01are like around the island
0:17:01 > 0:17:03and seeing if that's changing at all over the years.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10The rugged island of Skomer
0:17:10 > 0:17:15is home to half a million seabirds and is famous for its puffins.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18But the divers know that under the water is just as impressive.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23I think we are really privileged to live in such a beautiful area.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24The marine life here is so diverse.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28It needs our help.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32The first monitoring dive I did,
0:17:32 > 0:17:38sea search dive, was here in 2003 on the very same project.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40We did the sea urchin project then.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's a bit of a learning curve, as well.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47I know some of the animals that we see but not all,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49so after we finish the dive, we usually have a cup of tea
0:17:49 > 0:17:54and go through some reference books and write down what we saw.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Our seal's a bit friendly and it's come over to the boat to say hello.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05It's one of the bull seals, the males.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It's got a really thick neck.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09The seals here are friendly -
0:18:09 > 0:18:12to the point of being annoying sometimes on a dive.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15They like to nibble on your fins and things.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30The divers have all gone in now.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32We've got them on two sites,
0:18:32 > 0:18:37so in about an hour's time we should have them all back on the surface.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40At the bottom, they'll be laying out 30-metre tapes
0:18:40 > 0:18:42and swimming along that tape,
0:18:42 > 0:18:47counting and recording the sizes of each of the sea urchins they see.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50They'll be looking out for three starfish species
0:18:50 > 0:18:51that we're also recording,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and keeping a tally of how many they see of those, too.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02In the 1970s, sea urchins became incredibly rare around the UK.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05They made great trinkets for tourist shops.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Today, people are more aware
0:19:07 > 0:19:09that they shouldn't buy or collect wild creatures.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It's to protect these types of animals
0:19:12 > 0:19:14that nature reserves were set up.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21When we're actually doing the dives, to actually see various types
0:19:21 > 0:19:27of nudibranchs, which are small sea slugs.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32There are very many different types of fish within this area.
0:19:32 > 0:19:39We also have different types of coral. We have sea fans along here.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40Very, very pretty.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Very lucky to have them.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47But it isn't all beautiful by any means,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and Dave is often shocked by what he sees.
0:19:50 > 0:19:56Well, two and a half years ago, I set up an organisation called NARC,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59which is Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01We're a voluntary group of divers
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and we collect rubbish from under the sea.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09You'd be amazed at what people think they can throw in the sea -
0:20:09 > 0:20:13pushbikes, shopping trolleys, a washing machine!
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Just cos nobody can see it, they think they can get away with it.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20After an hour of surveying the seabed,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23it's time for the divers to surface.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Loads of life. Loads of little stuff wherever you look.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27We saw lobsters.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32Yes, it was very nice, very pleasant. Good visibility.
0:20:32 > 0:20:39Picturesque. Very scenic. Lots of rock drop-offs and crevasses.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42It was pleasant. There's a lot to see down there.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Lots of different colours and stuff.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Didn't see many urchins on the first dive.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50And on the second swim we had about five or six.
0:20:50 > 0:20:56Again, just finding more rubbish in the water.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Things get trapped in it, like crabs.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02So trying to collect as much as possible.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04There was one spiny starfish...
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Kate uses all this information to get a better picture
0:21:08 > 0:21:09of how the urchins are doing,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13but also to get an idea of the health of the reserve.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19The divers are very valuable to our project.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20We cover a huge area,
0:21:20 > 0:21:25about 10,000 square metres, with the volunteer divers.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30If you compare how much effort that would take for a four-person team,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33which we generally work, then it is a huge area.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36And it means we can really see the distribution
0:21:36 > 0:21:40of the sea urchins around the island.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43I do it because the ecology we have under the water here,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I think is fantastic.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47It's a shame most people can't see it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52I'm sure they think, "Wow, look how lucky we are."
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Out of sight, out of mind - that's the trouble with our coasts.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00But even our more common coastal animals, that are easier to see,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04have hidden lives we are only just beginning to discover.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Some 20 years ago, the figure of a lone Cornishman
0:22:07 > 0:22:10could be seen scanning this shoreline
0:22:10 > 0:22:13for some of Cornwall's most loved visitors.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17But his presence didn't go unnoticed.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19I finally plucked up courage to speak to the bloke
0:22:19 > 0:22:21I'd seen on the cliff top.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22I guess we probably got talking
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and chatted very occasionally to start with.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29'Now it's always great when one or the other of us is up here
0:22:29 > 0:22:31'because there's somebody to talk to.'
0:22:31 > 0:22:36Sue and Terry's passion, though, isn't for each other.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41It's for our largest mammal, the Atlantic grey seal.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47There's one coming out the water.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50- You get withdrawal symptoms when they're not here.- Yeah!
0:22:50 > 0:22:53You really miss the seals when they're not here.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55You just get totally fascinated by them,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and you've got to come and see what's happening.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01I've been coming here since the early '90s.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06I started to realise that nobody could answer any questions,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09why they were here or why they turned up at certain times
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and disappeared at others.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14A lot of the things I read in books didn't make sense
0:23:14 > 0:23:17because they didn't relate to the seals down here.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21So, we tried to find the answer to the questions.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24The only way was to just keep watching.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26For about ten years it was just me, wasn't it?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29It was just you for about ten years. I joined in about '99.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34I think that is immature male ringneck,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38I do know it, but it's not 102 or 122.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I think it's something like 156.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Sue and Terry have spent so long watching the seals
0:23:44 > 0:23:48they know individual animals by the unique patterns on their coats.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Chair Lift is there, Terry. I've only just spotted him.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54He's the one scratching.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58You look at their fur pattern.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Every seal's got a unique fur pattern.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04So you start with the left and right neck profiles.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Some of them have really distinctive markings on their backs as well.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I look at the patterns, but I'm not very good at that.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I think you've got to be female to see all these different pictures,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16like chair lifts and sea horses!
0:24:16 > 0:24:19But I can recognise some of them, because we've just taken loads
0:24:19 > 0:24:23and loads of photographs and you can enhance them a bit.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27I started by drawing them, and it's just... Drawing them is just so hard.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Digital cameras have just made life so much easier.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37As each year goes by,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Sue and Terry can add more seals to their database.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43They can now track them
0:24:43 > 0:24:46and have a better understanding of their behaviour.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50- There's one with a red scar.- Right.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51Each seal has its own column
0:24:51 > 0:24:55with the dates that that particular seal has been seen.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Amazingly, we are beginning to see some patterns,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00which is really exciting.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The more data we collect, the more we'll see that.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05There are an awful lot of males on the database
0:25:05 > 0:25:07who don't come in June and July.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09They come every other month of the year.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Then we get the other seals, like Canvey, who visit once a year.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16So they obviously spend most of their time somewhere else
0:25:16 > 0:25:18and just visit us passing through.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21You've really got to get a photo of that female.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I think she's been at sea a long time.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28She's got very long claws. She could be pregnant, I think.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Yeah, I'd have said so. Skittish, isn't she?.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32A very nervous female.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36There seems to be a lot of value in watching seals in one place,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39really getting to know that location really well,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41and seeing what the seals are doing there.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44We've learnt that there are a lot more seals here
0:25:44 > 0:25:45than we first thought.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48And we know that they move from France,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52through here, up to south-west Wales and south-west Ireland.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56The fact that we've had 215 different seals ID-ed in one year
0:25:56 > 0:25:59means there are probably a lot more seals
0:25:59 > 0:26:02passing through this particular site.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06So, with the new marine bill that's coming up,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10demonstrating the significance and importance of particular sites
0:26:10 > 0:26:13for particular species is very important.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I think we'll manage to do that for this site.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Fishing and tourism are vital industries in Cornwall,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23but they both pose a threat to grey seals.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27So Sue started the Cornish Seal Group,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30enthusiastic seal spotters who are trying to tackle the problems.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Forming the seal group's helped with the conservation of seals.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Human disturbance is something that's going to carry on increasing,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43so the more we know about it, the more we can monitor that
0:26:43 > 0:26:44and do something about it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Net entanglement is a big issue in Cornwall.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50'We've got very intense fisheries around our coast.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55'We do seem to have a high percentage of seals with net entanglement.'
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Our philosophy is that the more information you provide for people,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01the more they'll do the right thing.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04We're also trying to join with a loose coalition of other
0:27:04 > 0:27:10seal-interested groups, to try and get the law changed
0:27:10 > 0:27:12into a new seal protection act,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16which would give greater powers to people to protect the seals.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19This group's work is contributing on a national level
0:27:19 > 0:27:23to help protect an animal we know surprisingly little about.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28Up to 50% of the world's grey seals are in UK waters,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30so we have a huge international responsibility
0:27:30 > 0:27:33to look after them and protect them.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38From a chance meeting on a cliff came a shared passion,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43which gives the Atlantic grey seal a more promising future.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47The amateur naturalists we've met in this series are doing a vital job
0:27:47 > 0:27:50of conserving the treasure which is our wildlife.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54They are all carrying on a great British tradition of finding,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58watching and recording that stretches back for centuries
0:27:58 > 0:28:01and will hopefully carry on into the future.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Mammals, bugs, birds, butterflies - wherever they are,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11our skilled and dedicated amateurs are right in there with them.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13As long as they remain so,
0:28:13 > 0:28:18Britain will continue to have the best studied natural history in the world.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24If you think you were born to be wild about coastal creatures
0:28:24 > 0:28:28or any of the animals you've seen on this series,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30log on to our website...
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:54 > 0:28:55E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk