0:00:05 > 0:00:09'To the north, west and south, Wales is surrounded by sea.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14'I'm on a sea journey of Wales.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'In this episode I'm exploring Cardigan Bay,'
0:00:18 > 0:00:20'from Ceredigion to Pembrokeshire.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'I'll be meeting people who work on the sea...'
0:00:23 > 0:00:25That's got to be one of the most potentially dangerous
0:00:25 > 0:00:27bits of water all around the Welsh coast is it?
0:00:27 > 0:00:30It can be quite interesting to say the least.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32'..those who have a passion for the sea.'
0:00:32 > 0:00:35- Imagine seeing that for the first time ever.- Aye, Llangrannog.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38It's diving and taking photographs to see what's down there.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42'And I'll be discovering the amazing wildlife that lives in the sea.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:45They're lovely animals. Really, really nice animals.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Cardigan Bay is a beautiful stretch of coastline,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03and as a result it attracts thousands of visitors
0:01:03 > 0:01:06over the summer months.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09New Quay is one of the most popular resorts
0:01:09 > 0:01:12and the biggest attraction is the bottlenose dolphins in the bay.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18There are many boat trip operators that take people out to see them.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21To protect the dolphins and other sea life,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25a code of practice has been put in place.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Ben Sampson is the conservation officer
0:01:27 > 0:01:32for Ceredigion County Council, and he tries to help police this code.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34You've got this marine code set up,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37what does that say about when you're in a boat
0:01:37 > 0:01:39and you're near some dolphins, then?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Basically, I think it's quite common sense.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46It's saying don't steer directly towards them.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49If you're within a reasonable distance, about 300m,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53slow right down to dead slow and within 100m, stop.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57If you're going past them steer out around them,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59aim to pass about 100m away.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04And we've got 20 years of evidence now from a dolphin watch scheme,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08run by volunteers, that shows when boats follow
0:02:08 > 0:02:11the code of conduct the dolphins are much more likely to stick around,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14you'll see them for a lot longer, they won't alter their behaviour.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15When boats don't follow the code,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18the dolphins move away, they'll change their behaviour -
0:02:18 > 0:02:20if there's a lot of them scattered around,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24they'll group together for defence and they'll head out of the area.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Cardigan Bay has the biggest
0:02:25 > 0:02:28resident population of dolphins in Europe.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32300 are known to use the bay,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35but there's also a big population of birds nesting on the cliffs,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38most of them only visible from the sea.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42So what have we got here? Kittiwakes I can hear.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Yeah, really good colony of kittiwakes on the cliff facing us
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and then on the other side of this cave, this other...
0:02:50 > 0:02:53the south facing side of the cave, lots of guillemots,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55you'll see, as we come around the corner.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- Oh, I see. I can see the row upon row of guillemots.- That's right.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02There's somewhere in the region of 200 pairs,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04we've got, between here and Birds Rock.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06It's the guillemots we've got most of,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09somewhere in the region of 4,000 nesting along this stretch of coast.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Nice number. And again, this is one of the things you patrol, is it?
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Making sure the boats...
0:03:14 > 0:03:17they're out to see dolphins and porpoises,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20but that they don't go too close to the nesting birds as well.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Absolutely. We ask them to keep 50m out. And all along this stretch
0:03:24 > 0:03:27of coast all the way from New Quay down to Llangrannog,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31we've got an eight-knot speed limit within 200m of the coast.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33So if you want to go fast, head offshore, that's fine,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36but close inshore or particularly around the headlands
0:03:36 > 0:03:39is where you'll find the sea birds, the seals, the dolphins,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and you'll need to keep your speed down.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Much of our coastal wildlife needs protection.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49The dolphins and sea birds of Cardigan Bay are obvious gems,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and can be easily viewed.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Less apparent is the wonderful wildlife
0:03:59 > 0:04:01that lives underwater, below the cliffs.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Here, the landscape is even more impressive.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Underwater, the rocks are covered with plants,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10anemones and shellfish.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15The sea above them is full of fish.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18It's one of the reasons why so many dolphins live here.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23This is a shoal of bass, one of our favourite fish to eat.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Spider crabs are found on rocks covered with sea life.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32We eat them too.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And there are huge colonies of honeycomb reefs
0:04:37 > 0:04:40which are full of crevices for hiding lobsters.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52With all this rich sea life, it's little wonder that fishing
0:04:52 > 0:04:55is an important part of West Wales' life.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Mici Beechey fishes from a traditional
0:05:00 > 0:05:03wooden boat out of Llangrannog.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07He's partly built the boat himself,
0:05:07 > 0:05:12and although he has a commercial licence to catch lobsters and crabs,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16his method of fishing is traditional and simple.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- It's a lovely boat, isn't it?- Oh!
0:05:18 > 0:05:22- And for a small boat it's amazingly stable.- It's the way it's shaped.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24It's got like twin hulls at the back
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- and then the mono hull at the front so...- Ah, right.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31And this is the way they would have done this many years ago, is it?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- Just single pots.- Single pots, yeah.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37And whatever you catch now, then, is that sold locally?
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Yeah, everything I catch goes to the Pentre Arms in Llangrannog.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- Oh, right. - And to the Caban and to the Patio.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Oh, fair play. Oh, chwarae teg.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47So they buy most of the stuff and it's all fresh.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Comes in off the boat,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52within 45 minutes you'll have a fresh lobster on your plate.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Mici fishes only a small stretch of coast
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and it includes the impressive headland of Ynys Lochtyn,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10just north of Llangrannog.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- Oh, hello, hello. - We've got two nice ones in here.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Oh, nice ones. Look at this.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- Oh, nice. That's definitely big enough, isn't it?- That's a keeper.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- Yeah, that's a keeper, aye. - That's a good one that, isn't it?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- Look at the size on that. - Do you want to band him for me?
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- Aye, go on then. - Over that knuckle there, that's it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- Oh, not too far. Come back again. That's it.- There?
0:06:31 > 0:06:35- There. Just there. - And slide him off, is it?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- That's it.- Is that all right? - That'll do.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- Not the best job, was it? - It's all right.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44No, it wasn't the best job. He's just had me now.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Has he? - IOLO LAUGHS
0:06:47 > 0:06:49- Careful not to swear.- There? - That's it.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Oh, right on there. That's better, isn't it?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Let me move this one back.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- That's what you get if you're not careful.- Oh, is it?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- Is that off him here, was it? - Yeah, off his cutting arm, that is.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04And stick him in with the others, keep him...
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Is this one big enough?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09I don't know, he looks small to me. I'll measure him now.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16- He is within size.- Yeah. How old is that going to be?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20- He's within the size...- Right, yeah. - ..so he'll be seven years old.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Cos I've... I remember being with a fisherman catching a massive one
0:07:24 > 0:07:27and he reckoned that one would have been 60 or 70 years old.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Yeah, probably.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Within that size, to grow a millimetre more than that, I think,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- about a millimetre after, then, takes three years.- Is it three years?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38So when it's got to this big,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- it's an old, old lobster then. - It's got to be, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47I have to say I find Mici's method of fishing quite appealing.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It's not that I'm against large, commercial boats -
0:07:50 > 0:07:53we're in an age in which people living far away from the coast
0:07:53 > 0:07:55would also like to buy fish -
0:07:55 > 0:07:59but the idea of fishing on your own patch for local consumption
0:07:59 > 0:08:02seems more in tune with the resident sea life.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Oh, there's dolphins out there now, jumping.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Yeah, jumping out now.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12You don't need to be on or in the sea
0:08:12 > 0:08:14to appreciate the marine life of Wales.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Dolphins often come close to land to feed on fish.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25This is the popular beach of Mwnt in south Ceredigion.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Photographer Janet Baxter has been coming here for many years
0:08:28 > 0:08:32to take shots of dolphins from a vantage point on the headland.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36How many dolphins are there out there then, Janet?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Two at the moment.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I thought earlier on there were more than that.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- There were three.- There were, were there?- Two adults and a juvenile.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47But I think we're down to an adult and a juvenile now.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50The well-marked adult seems to have moved off.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53One of them... Oh, there we are, that one there now,
0:08:53 > 0:08:58- that one's up, that's got a really white front to its dosal fin.- Yes.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01And this is a real favourite spot, isn't it, Mwnt?
0:09:01 > 0:09:03I've watched them here many a time,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- and I know you come here all the time.- Yeah.- Why here then?
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Um, well for food, for fish.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11We're at the mouth of the Teifi here,
0:09:11 > 0:09:16so you get the salmon and the sewin running up the Teifi.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23And garfish, herring, mullet - mullet and bass, estuary type fish.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27But we've got a sandbank that runs from the headland here
0:09:27 > 0:09:29up towards that first headland.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33So the water out there's quite deep and then it suddenly gets shallow.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37So the dolphin can push the fish up against....
0:09:37 > 0:09:40into the shallow water but they can also see the salmon
0:09:40 > 0:09:43or the sewin as they run across the sandbank.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- So it's like a corral, a natural corral for them.- Yes, yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52They use underwater geographical features to help catch fish.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57There we are, that's the one with the white front to the dorsal fin.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Is that a unique marking?
0:09:59 > 0:10:03No. There are several dolphins in the bay with the white leading edge.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07If you get closer, there'd probably be more nicks and scratches
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and things which are unique.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13So are you taking photographs for your own collection,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15or are you taking photographs, you know,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18to help you identify these, or what?
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Well both.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I want pictures, you know, of wildlife,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I want pictures for postcards and my own business,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28but while I'm here, waiting for them to do something
0:10:28 > 0:10:32a bit more dramatic or a bit more interesting, I take the fins as well.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36So that goes then into the catalogues in New Quay or Cardigan Bay.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Do we know how many bottlenose dolphins
0:10:38 > 0:10:40there are all along the bay?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I think the catalogue is up to...
0:10:42 > 0:10:45well over 250 animals
0:10:45 > 0:10:48but they're not necessarily all in the bay at the same time.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50They tend to come and go.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- Because they are very intelligent animals, aren't they?- Yes.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56And we only understand a small fraction
0:10:56 > 0:10:58of what they're doing in the water.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Yes, we only see what they do when they come to the surface
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so we've no idea of what's going on under the water.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09The sea is exceptionally calm today which makes dolphin watching easy.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14But very often - especially during winter - the sea can be stormy.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Turbulent swells play a big part in coastal erosion.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25They bring rocks and sand that grind cliffs down.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26It's estimated that erosion
0:11:26 > 0:11:29is occurring along 23% of the Welsh Coast.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33This erosion could well be made worse by a predicted
0:11:33 > 0:11:37rise in sea level of up to 76cm by the end of the century.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41During severe storms,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44low-lying, unprotected land can be lost overnight,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47especially when combined with very high tides.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52This has happened many times along the Welsh coast during the past
0:11:52 > 0:11:55few hundred years and some of the most dramatic evidence
0:11:55 > 0:11:59for this is at Cwm yr Eglwys, on the north Pembrokeshire coast.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02These are the remains of a church that has stood here
0:12:02 > 0:12:05in one form or another since Norman Times.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Most of the church and the land in front of it were destroyed
0:12:10 > 0:12:14by a combination of storms and sea erosion during the 19th century.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Local diver Richard Hughes has brought me
0:12:18 > 0:12:22here to find other remains of the eroded land under the sea.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23So as well as this church,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26heading out this way now, looking towards the sea,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28you would have had a graveyard.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- There would have been two fields further from here.- Two fields?
0:12:31 > 0:12:33And there were sea defences,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36which were quite substantial at the time.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39But in 1833, the sea defences split
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and the water started coming in and encroached on those fields.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46And it wasn't much of a worry to them at the time because
0:12:46 > 0:12:49they thought the local geology would hold it back and what they
0:12:49 > 0:12:53didn't realise is there's nothing behind it, it soon washed out.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So you're telling me that, before then...
0:12:56 > 0:12:59it was land right out to those two pinnacles there.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01There was land right out to those two pinnacles there.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03So this whole bay was dry land, then?
0:13:03 > 0:13:07- It was dry land and a...a graveyard. - It's incredible, isn't it?
0:13:10 > 0:13:15So what was once land is now sea.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18The old sea defence wall was well out in the bay, and Richard
0:13:18 > 0:13:21is going to take me and the rest of the dive support team to see it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Unfortunately, the sea has been turbulent during the past few days
0:13:32 > 0:13:35and the visibility is dreadful.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38But the wall is fairly substantial and we eventually find it.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53This is part of the old 1833 sea wall,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55there's not very much left of it now.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59And it's really difficult to believe that between here
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and the shore were fields and a cemetery.
0:14:02 > 0:14:08It's all just sandy bottom with the occasional piece of slate.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10But it shows you the power of nature,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13and even though we're in a sheltered bay today,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16visibility is poor, we've been pushed back and forth
0:14:16 > 0:14:21because there's a strong wind offshore but it's having an effect
0:14:21 > 0:14:26in here. Can you imagine a force 10 gale, from the northeast
0:14:26 > 0:14:29blowing straight down into Cwm yr Eglwys?
0:14:29 > 0:14:30No wonder the church has gone.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36The old sea wall has become a seascape,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38a habitat for marine wildlife.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42But while the sea's power can destroy,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44its energy can also be harnessed.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53The sea between Ramsey Island and mainland Pembrokeshire
0:14:53 > 0:14:55has very strong currents
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and has one of the biggest tidal flows in the UK -
0:14:58 > 0:15:02it makes it a perfect site to exploit energy from the sea.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06This is the research ship Prince Madog,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and scientists from SEACAMS -
0:15:08 > 0:15:10a collaboration between Bangor, Swansea
0:15:10 > 0:15:15and Aberystwyth Universities - are surveying the sea and sea bed
0:15:15 > 0:15:18to determine the best site to position underwater turbines.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Chris Williams is overseeing the project for renewable energy
0:15:24 > 0:15:28companies Tidal Energy Ltd and Eco2.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31He's looking for a fairly flat sea bed with a rocky bottom
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and enough tide to create constant energy.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Turbines will cover an area the size of a rugby pitch
0:15:38 > 0:15:42on the sea floor and will simply just rest on the sea bed.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Chris has brought with him a scale model of the turbines.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50So these feet just sit on the floor.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55- So the water will be forcing the rotors around at about 10rpm.- Yeah.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58So it takes about six seconds for a rotor to go round.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01When the tide then changes, we will then yaw
0:16:01 > 0:16:05the device at 90 degrees to the tide while it changes.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Then, as the flow comes in the opposite direction,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09we'll be able to yaw it back into the flow
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and then the flow will be operating in the other direction.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14So it's continuous 24 hours a day?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17So it's available 24 hours a day.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Again, it's only operating,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20- obviously, when the tide is moving... - Yeah.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23..but in a site like this, you know, we're finding today, even on a calm
0:16:23 > 0:16:26day like today, there's three knots of flow here today.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30The ship - to hold station - is having to drive at three knots
0:16:30 > 0:16:32to stay in the same location.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34So there's a tremendous amount of sustainable,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36predictable power as well, you know?
0:16:36 > 0:16:38By measuring the flow once,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40we know what the flow's going to be for the next 25 years effectively.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44In addition to the research taking place on the Prince Madog,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48surveys are also in progress to determine the potential impact
0:16:48 > 0:16:52on wildlife here, in particular, sea mammals.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56This is a good area for seals, porpoises and dolphins.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57If the lives of these animals
0:16:57 > 0:16:58and the less obvious creatures
0:16:58 > 0:17:00living under the waves are not affected,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04then harnessing energy from the sea is surely a good thing.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07This device was founded by
0:17:07 > 0:17:10a guy called Richard Ayre, who's a marine engineer,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12who lives in Little Haven, which is about...
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- Just round the corner there.- ..about 20 nautical miles away.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19This is his idea. Back in 2002, he put a small device
0:17:19 > 0:17:23into the Cleddau Estuary, just by the bridge by Pembroke Dock
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and since then we've been developing the technology.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30And now we're in a situation where next year, next spring hopefully,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- this device will be manufactured in Pembroke Dock...- Yeah.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35..and then brought out here on a large crane barge
0:17:35 > 0:17:37and put into Ramsey Sound,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41connected to the grid and St Davids will be powered by tidal power.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I've now moved further south along the coast of Pembrokeshire,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and I'm heading past the Marloes Peninsula.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Like the sea further north between Ramsey Island and St Davids,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59the currents between the mainland
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and Skomer Island are also powerful and erratic.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Local Skipper Brian Dilly is taking me for a dive in St Bride's Bay.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Skomer, of course, I know Skomer well.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Yeah.- Jack Sound coming up,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19that's got to be one of the most potentially dangerous bits
0:18:19 > 0:18:22of water all around the Welsh Coast I'd have thought is it, Jack Sound?
0:18:22 > 0:18:24It can be quite interesting to say the least.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28You know, you go through on slack water and it's very nice.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Then you go through a little bit later
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and the water's tumbling, you've got whirlpools.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Really interesting bit of water.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40We actually lost one of our ribs down a hole there one year.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41What, like a whirlpool?
0:18:41 > 0:18:44It just disappeared down a hole, straight down a hole,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46nobody got hurt so that's the main thing.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49- Shows you the power of the sea, doesn't it?- Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54While strong currents are dangerous to boats and people,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58they bring a constant supply of tiny food particles in the sea
0:18:58 > 0:18:59for marine wildlife.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11The size of this thing.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14It's a spiny starfish.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Much, much bigger than the starfish you sometimes find
0:19:17 > 0:19:20washed up on shore. Much bigger.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33This sponge here,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35it's called a yellow boring sponge.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39But something looks a little bit wrong with it,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42it's not in the right place, and if I lift it carefully...
0:19:44 > 0:19:46..you'll see why.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50This crab, will break off a big bit of sponge
0:19:50 > 0:19:52and just put it on its back
0:19:52 > 0:19:56and carry it around with him for camouflage. Look at him.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58It's a recent coloniser to these waters
0:19:58 > 0:20:01but it's expanding quite rapidly now.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I'd better put him back with the sponge on his back.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12'These white growths on the rock face are dead man's fingers.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17'They're a soft coral formed by colonies of anemone-like animals.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21'They're very common all along the Welsh coast.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25'Established on a piece of string are plumose anemones.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27'They too are sea animals.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31'And on an underwater rock face,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34'there's an extraordinary gathering of spiny spider crabs.'
0:20:36 > 0:20:41It's the mating season at the moment, the end of the summer.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44A lot of the crabs down here and that includes the spider crabs.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47And you get what they call mating balls -
0:20:47 > 0:20:52you get one female surrounded by a lot of males,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56and they'll jump on her fighting to mate with a female.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58And there are only what?
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Half a dozen crabs here
0:21:00 > 0:21:04but I've seen mating balls of 20 crabs and more.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And these are really impressive looking crabs.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15This is something I never thought I'd see in Welsh waters.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18It's a sea cucumber.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23It's like a great, big, hollow eating machine, really,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26and it'll eat virtually anything along here.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32I've seen them before abroad in warm waters but never in Wales.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35That's glorious, a lovely black colour with little white spots
0:21:35 > 0:21:37here and there if you look carefully.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And the sea cucumber's got this incredible defence.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46If you pick it up, out of its bottom end
0:21:46 > 0:21:51it sends out a whole long thread of thick, sticky substance.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56They're amazing creatures, they really are.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00'The rich sea life here is fuelled by strong currents flowing around
0:22:00 > 0:22:05'the Pembrokeshire coast, and one species is special to the location.'
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Oh, wow, look at this. How beautiful is that?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11This is a pink sea fan.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Something, again, I always associated with warmer waters,
0:22:15 > 0:22:20but here they are in Wales at their northernmost limit,
0:22:20 > 0:22:21here in Pembrokeshire.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27And these things, they grow about a centimetre a year initially
0:22:27 > 0:22:34and then it slows down, so this one is maybe 20-25cm across,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37it could be 30 or 40 years old.
0:22:37 > 0:22:43And it's a whole colony of creatures living together here,
0:22:43 > 0:22:49in a gully, with the tidal flow back and forth, sends little nutrients
0:22:49 > 0:22:52into the mouths of these little creatures.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54What a beautiful thing.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01'This fragile sea fan is growing in the only Marine Nature Reserve
0:23:01 > 0:23:05'in Wales and one of only three in the whole of the UK.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:18'It's a wonderful wild landscape which is
0:23:18 > 0:23:22'arguably as rich as any tropical rainforest or any other
0:23:22 > 0:23:25'important natural habitat on the planet.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29'And there are no clues at all to this hidden wealth, above,
0:23:29 > 0:23:30'on the surface.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'Marine conservation officer Jennifer Jones
0:23:33 > 0:23:34'looks after the reserve.'
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Every year, we go back to certain sites
0:23:36 > 0:23:39monitoring certain species that are important.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43We take photographs of them, so that we can compare year upon year how
0:23:43 > 0:23:47their population is, how the growth rate is, are they still there?
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Are they disappearing? And it's been going for over 20 years now.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53And this entails diving constantly, does it?
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Diving constantly, yes. We do do some inter-tidal work on the shore
0:23:56 > 0:23:58as well and some grab sampling to look at the infauna,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01but it's primarily diving and taking photographs
0:24:01 > 0:24:02to see what's down there.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04So you... Hang on, let me get this right,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07you're being paid to dive, to look at wildlife and to take photographs.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- It's great, isn't it? - It's a lovely job, isn't it?
0:24:09 > 0:24:12That's really nice. And what does a Marine Nature Reserve mean?
0:24:12 > 0:24:16You know, is there no fishing at all there?
0:24:16 > 0:24:20No, they are allowed to fish and they are allowed to get lobsters
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and crabs, the only thing that is prohibited is taking
0:24:23 > 0:24:25of scallops by any way, shape or form.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28There's a very hefty fine for anybody caught taking scallops
0:24:28 > 0:24:30either by diving or dredging.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34The most westerly point of Wales
0:24:34 > 0:24:37is further out to sea, past Skomer Island.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Around 15 miles west of the Pembrokeshire coast,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44an impressive lighthouse stands on a rocky outcrop.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46The outcrop is known as the Smalls.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50The lighthouse, with its own helipad on the top, is unmanned.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54This is not a hospitable place for people,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57but its remoteness is ideal for seals.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It's one of the best locations in Britain to dive with them.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Underwater, the rocks form deep gullies full of anemones,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11soft coral and starfish.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16The strong currents bring food particles to the rich sea life.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21And it doesn't take long for a seal to investigate a new visitor.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26The seals here on the Smalls are incredibly inquisitive
0:25:26 > 0:25:28and quite tame.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32And you've got to keep your wits about you because
0:25:32 > 0:25:35they're so agile, you're looking for them
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and they're coming around behind you.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40But I suppose if you were living here on a piece of rock,
0:25:40 > 0:25:4720 miles plus offshore, any visitor is a welcome visitor, even me.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51'Atlantic grey seals,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54'as their name suggests, are mammals of the North Atlantic.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00'The nearby Pembrokeshire islands of Skomer
0:26:00 > 0:26:05'and Ramsey are important breeding sites for them.'
0:26:05 > 0:26:08You can see them, they're coming nearer,
0:26:08 > 0:26:09wondering what exactly I am...
0:26:12 > 0:26:15..and what I'm doing here
0:26:15 > 0:26:16in their territory.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22'They don't seem to be threatened at all by my presence but the sea
0:26:22 > 0:26:24'is their world not mine and, of course,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26'they're totally confident in it.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:43This one has wedged itself in a little cleft,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and it's going to sleep.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50'I didn't know that seals sleep underwater
0:26:50 > 0:26:54'but it'll have to be a quick nap, as they can only hold their breath
0:26:54 > 0:26:57'for up to 15 minutes before returning to the surface for air.'
0:27:10 > 0:27:13'You don't need to approach them to get a good view,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16'they'll approach you for a close encounter.'
0:27:16 > 0:27:21I suspect that's their version of a welcome to the Smalls.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25I've just had a cow, a female grey seal,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29nibbling away at my fins quite lovingly.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32They're lovely animals, really, really nice animals.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36And they've all ganged up and given us a great welcome
0:27:41 > 0:27:45'Over 100 seals come to the Smalls during the spring and summer.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48'During early autumn, many will head for their breeding beaches
0:27:48 > 0:27:51'on Ramsey and Skomer Islands.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53'Although some will remain here over winter,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57'the majority will migrate to other parts of the Welsh Coast.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59'And new studies suggest that
0:27:59 > 0:28:01'a few will travel as far as the Dee Estuary.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06'We're only beginning to understand the secret life of the sea.'
0:28:08 > 0:28:12'Next time, I'll be finding sharks in the Celtic Deep...'
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And I've got to keep pinching myself!
0:28:14 > 0:28:18I'm in the sea off the coast of West Wales.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22'..I'll be discovering a sunken bomber in Pembroke Dock...'
0:28:22 > 0:28:26This plane has been lying here in the silt
0:28:26 > 0:28:28for 70-odd years now.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31'...I'll be going fishing along the south Glamorgan coast..'
0:28:31 > 0:28:32I find it relaxing.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I used to go to the gym a lot and now I fish.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38'..and I'll be setting off from Cardiff Bay with the police.'