0:00:05 > 0:00:09To the north, west and south, Wales is surrounded by sea.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14I'm on a sea journey around Wales.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16In this final part,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18I'll be travelling along the South Wales coast
0:00:18 > 0:00:21from Pembrokeshire to the Severn Estuary.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I'll be meeting people who work on the sea...
0:00:24 > 0:00:27You must be called out in these conditions all the time.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- Well, believe it or not, today's quite a nice day.- Is it?
0:00:30 > 0:00:32People who have a passion for the sea.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35It's cracking, isn't it? We're very lucky today, it's lovely and calm.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38I normally go to work on Monday morning with dirty nails.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42I'll also be discovering the amazing wildlife that lives in the sea.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44How fantastic is that?!
0:00:55 > 0:00:59The sea around Wales is a combination of warm waters from the south
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and cold nutrient-rich currents from the north.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05It's a mixture that attracts all kinds of sea life,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09and some of the species that visit our sea might surprise you.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I'm heading out of Dale, Pembrokeshire, to look for sharks.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19Yes, sharks - fish that you don't usually associate with Welsh waters.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24However, within minutes of leaving harbour, my shark expedition
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and early breakfast is interrupted by dolphins.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34We've only just come out of Dale, literally five minutes out of Dale,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36we're not even out to the Haven yet
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and we've got a pod of Risso's dolphins.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Amazing dolphins, they're a really pale colour, a light grey colour
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and they've got a dorsal fin, you can see them here,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47a little bit like a shark's.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I'm going to carry on with my breakfast now.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Risso's dolphins are usually seen further out at sea
0:01:56 > 0:01:59but during the past few years more have been recorded
0:01:59 > 0:02:03near the coast of Pembrokeshire and the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05It's a lucky sighting.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Let's hope the luck will continue on my shark mission.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12I'm actually shark fishing for a population study.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- If you come here, look in the corner. - Yeah.- All right?
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'I've arrived 20 miles out at sea in a part of the Atlantic Ocean
0:02:19 > 0:02:23'roughly halfway between Wales and Ireland, known as the Celtic Deep.'
0:02:23 > 0:02:26He's still there, he's still there.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28'With a guiding hand from Greg Laycock,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31I'm trying to land a blue shark.'
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- Just hold on to the rod and... - Let him go with that?
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Let him go, don't try and fight him.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40'Within minutes and a slice of beginner's luck, something big has taken bait.'
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Now, the idea is that you want to tire the fish out so...
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Or tiring me out!
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Thing is, you'll get him to the side of the boat,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50- then he's likely to see the boat and then dive.- OK.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54He might be dead weight, as I said, if he's rolled up in the trace
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- he can't swim now.- Oh, right, OK. - So you're bringing in a dead weight.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02- Tire himself out.- Just keep tension on that line all the time.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04Tell you what...
0:03:06 > 0:03:08..it's hard work.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11My arm is aching and this is an easy one, they reckon.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I'd hate to see what a hard one's like. If it's a big one, I'll give it to the boys.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Beautiful fish, aren't they? Beautiful fish.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Come on, boy, come on.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- Oh, look at that, come on, you beauty.- Well done, sir.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Oh, look at the colour on that.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30'Lloyd Jones from the Shark Trust, an organisation set up to
0:03:30 > 0:03:35'protect sharks in the UK, is giving the shark a thorough check.'
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Good and fat.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40So this is all part of an ongoing study, looking at what?
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Weights and measures of the fish you catch, is it?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Yeah, we're mainly interested
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- in the male to female ratio in the area then.- Yeah.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- And the population, the number of sharks in the area.- Right.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Two metres.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- So what are you doing now? - Measuring the tail then.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- OK, do you want me to hold there? - Yeah.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- 55.- It's amazing, it's all smooth underneath
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and all rough on the back here.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09- 74 girth.- 74.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- Oh, you're going to put a tag in there, are you?- Yeah.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- Just at the base of the dorsal fin here.- Yeah.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Use this then, just to make a small incision.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25What happens? If anybody catches this one again,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29they, hopefully, will return the tag to you, is it?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32The next person who catches it will be able to update
0:04:32 > 0:04:34their information on where it was caught.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38- How many have you tagged now, then? - It'll be 22 now in total.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- 22 this year, is it? - 22 in total this season. - Does anybody know where they go?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Because they only appear here over the summer months, is it?- Yeah.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47They travel all the way across the North Atlantic.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50As they get older, they tend to go to the Caribbean,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- Eastern America, Florida.- And I bet you, most people wouldn't know
0:04:53 > 0:04:55there are sharks in Welsh waters.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59I don't think many people appreciate just how many there are out here.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01There's got to be tens of thousands out here.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04But of course, they're completely harmless, aren't they?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Yeah, as long as you keep away from the sharp end.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Yeah, that's why I'm at the tail!
0:05:08 > 0:05:10They don't go out to cause you any damage
0:05:10 > 0:05:12but doing this, you run the risk.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Just look at the colour, a beautiful topaz blue.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Amazing animal, look at that.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Right, that's this one done? - Yes, indeed.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21So she goes back in? OK.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- Slip her back in.- Right.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29'I've decided to join her in the water.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33'Although seeing and touching a shark on a boat is terrific,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36'there's nothing quite like seeing an animal in its own environment.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41'In the water you can see why the blue shark has a blue back.'
0:05:43 > 0:05:47It shows this cryptic colouring, the dark blue on the back.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Because any prey item or potential predator
0:05:50 > 0:05:54looking down at the shark, well, it's virtually invisible.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57And if you look up at it from below, of course it's very pale,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00it's like looking up at the sky.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03And I've got to keep pinching myself.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06I'm in the sea off the coast of West Wales.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09This isn't the Red Sea, this isn't the Bahamas,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11this is Wales.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16'And my lucky day continues.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'Out of the blue, a pod of dolphins suddenly appear
0:06:20 > 0:06:22'while I'm in the water.'
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Oh, wow! Here's some dolphins, common dolphins.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Whoa! Look at this.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Woo hoo!
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Fantastic. Common dolphins!
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Wow!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39That came out of nowhere and whizzed through.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Oh, look at this!
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Look at this!
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Woo!
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I'm surrounded by common dolphins.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00How fantastic is that?
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Looking for sharks and the next thing
0:07:02 > 0:07:05a big pod of common dolphins come through.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09It's the first time I've ever been in the water with dolphins.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11That's...
0:07:11 > 0:07:13And it's off the Welsh coast!
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Incredible.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25During the Second World War, Pembroke Dock was a large
0:07:25 > 0:07:28naval port and the biggest seaplane base in the world.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33The majority of the seaplanes were Sunderland Bombers.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36It was one of the most powerful flying boats of the time,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and a sunken Sunderland still exists here on the sea bed.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I'm heading down-river from the Cleddau Bridge
0:07:45 > 0:07:49with Rik Saldanha, who is a member of the Sunderland Trust,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52a volunteer dive group set up to recover the seaplane
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and protect the military heritage of Pembroke Dock.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00So we're going to dive down to look at a Sunderland flying boat, is it?
0:08:00 > 0:08:05- Yes, yeah. - And that went down during the war?
0:08:05 > 0:08:09It went down during the war, 12th November 1940.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- Wasn't shot down or anything like that?- Wasn't shot down.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15It had flown down from Oban, we believe, for repairs,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17but it sunk in a storm.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19So what would this area have looked like?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Say we were looking out now towards Pembroke Dock?
0:08:22 > 0:08:24If we're looking out towards Pembroke Dock,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26where you've got the two main hangars over there,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28which, as you can see, are still in existence.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31So that's those huge grey buildings there now?
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- That's those huge grey buildings. - Oh, right.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Somewhere over there, I'm not quite sure where,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- there would have been a large slip. - Right, bringing them down.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- Bringing them up and down.- What was their role then? Coastal defence?
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It was anti-submarine.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So they would carry bombs and depth charges?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50The one we'll be diving on today actually carried bombs
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- because it's a Mark I. - Are there any bombs on it?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57We are assured by the Navy clearance team that there isn't.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Right, OK. - IOLO LAUGHS
0:08:59 > 0:09:03We will find out possibly one day if they ever bring it up.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06If there's a big boom and I come flying up, then we'll know why!
0:09:10 > 0:09:13'Below the surface the sea is murky.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16'It's a dark world where you lose orientation easily.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20'A dogfish and other marine plants and animals
0:09:20 > 0:09:23'live amongst scattered rubbish on the sea bed.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33'Any movement stirs up silt and makes the visibility even worse.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37'It's deep, dark water,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42'and we can only see objects up to a metre or two away from us.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'Eventually we see the first remnants of the plane,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49'a cylinder-shaped exhaust pipe.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53'And next to it, one of the bomber's huge engines.'
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Visibility down here is really, really poor.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07We've got a rope to follow.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Thank goodness for that, otherwise I'd have got completely lost.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14But we've come down by an engine,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18there's an engine behind this, this is one of the propellers.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Now, of course, covered in anemones and sponges.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24It's difficult diving down here,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27there's a current, a constant current,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30there's a lot of silt so visibility isn't great.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32But it's amazing to come across this.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35When you think that this plane has been lying here
0:10:35 > 0:10:38in the silt for 70-odd years now.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And what you have to remember is that these were huge planes,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46these were the Boeing 747s of their day.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And it's a big propeller,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51most of it is underneath the silt, beneath my knees here.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55'It may seem an unbelievable task,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'but it's hoped that the plane will be recovered bit by bit
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'and re-built in a heritage museum on Pembroke Dock.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05'But for the time being, it's a fabulous artificial reef
0:11:05 > 0:11:07'for all sorts of sea life.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:12The beautiful coast of South Wales
0:11:12 > 0:11:15is perfect for all kinds of leisure activities.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I'm below Worm's Head on the western tip of the Gower Peninsula
0:11:20 > 0:11:22with champion surfer James Jones.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27James has been surfing competitively for 25 years
0:11:27 > 0:11:31but today he's taking me stand-up paddle-boarding.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It's one of the fastest-growing water sports in the world.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38It's popular because it's relatively easy to do,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42while at the same time, it improves your balance, strength and fitness.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Apparently ancient Hawaiian kings paddled this way,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50so it's not new, but I guess they didn't wear wetsuits.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Well, James, I can think of worse places to be on a day like this.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55I know, it's cracking, isn't it?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58We're very lucky today, it's lovely and calm.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01It's not normally like this out here, that's for sure.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I'm glad it is, because I'm going to have a go in a minute.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06I've been watching you and you make it look so easy,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but I've never been underneath Worm's Head like this.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11I've climbed it, you know, the other side,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13but to come this side is just completely different.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Yeah, it's brilliant, isn't it?
0:12:15 > 0:12:19It's...it's quite spooky, I find it, to be honest!
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Deep water, but all the birds are amazing.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22You can hear them, can't you?
0:12:22 > 0:12:26you can hear the kittiwakes going, "kittiwake, kittiwake, kittiwake"!
0:12:26 > 0:12:29And you usually come out here to surf, not to paddle-board, is it?
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Yeah. We surf off the other side of the Head there.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Obviously today it's really flat, but what we tend to do,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37we get the paddle boards,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40either lay-down or stand-up paddle boards like these,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and we paddle out either around Bury Holmes or around the Worm.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46There's just no better place to be, is there, in the world, really.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Today is an exceptional calm day, no good for surfing,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55and the sea is relatively safe.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But offshore on a board in deep water is a dangerous place.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03The sea needs a lot of respect.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07You know, whether you're paddle-boarding or surfing,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10you've got to know your water, haven't you?
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Yeah, definitely, really important.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15But it's one of those things, you can't really be taught it.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17You sort of pick it up with knowledge
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and just spending time in the water.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22When you look at the weather chart and you see the swell is coming
0:13:22 > 0:13:26and the wind's going to be northerly and the tide's low at three o'clock,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29you know exactly where to go and where's going to work.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33So there's a lot of knowledge you gain just through experience
0:13:33 > 0:13:34and surfing.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47I'm pretty sure that the Hawaiian kings
0:13:47 > 0:13:51didn't paddle-board on their knees either, but I can tell you,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55that first time on a board, kneeling is a lot easier than standing.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01The sea is both powerful and corrosive
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and any artificial structure in contact with it
0:14:04 > 0:14:06needs to be maintained.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Underwater, this work is carried out by commercial divers.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16It's an occupation that's clearly potentially dangerous
0:14:16 > 0:14:19but done properly under strict safety conditions,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21it's routine work for an experienced diver.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26These are the lock gates to Swansea Marina.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29In common with other marine structures,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32they're checked every two years for wear and tear.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Diver Russell Edwards has been asked to inspect them underwater.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40- You don't see much, do you? - Not a great deal no, no.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I go underwater, I go underwater to see stuff,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45see the fish and the crabs and whatever.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47No, we don't see a lot to be honest.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49It's normally black so we don't see a lot.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Russell's diving equipment is totally different to mine.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01For a start, he wears a sealed helmet rather than a mask
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and that's because he needs to be able to stay underwater
0:15:04 > 0:15:07for a much longer period, often many hours.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14He's fed air with hoses from the surface.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15With my cylinders,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19I can stay underwater for no more than around 45 minutes.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Pre-dive checks have to be thorough, there's no room for complacency
0:15:23 > 0:15:27even here, in what appears to be the relative safety of a marina.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32It's deep water, and any silly mistake can be fatal.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Underwater, it's a dark, eerie world.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55This makes inspection difficult, but with his trailing umbilical cord
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Russell has to climb and check every part of the structure.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05The water in the lock is also an unusual mixture of fresh water
0:16:05 > 0:16:08from the River Tawe and salt water from the sea.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14The fresh water lies at the surface and, as it's heavier,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16sea water falls to the bottom.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20I tell you what,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23it's an unusual experience diving in a marina like this
0:16:23 > 0:16:27where you can see up on top, visibility's great -
0:16:27 > 0:16:31down here, not only is there a lot of mud getting churned up
0:16:31 > 0:16:36but you've got that weird mixture of fresh water and sea water,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39which gives it that real blurred appearance,
0:16:39 > 0:16:44so visibility is just dreadful, and as for wildlife, well...
0:16:44 > 0:16:47I had a quick look round, but I haven't seen anything so far.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I don't envy the boys working down in this.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56'The metal frame of the lock looks as if it's covered with rusty corrosion,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59'but in fact, its rough uneven surface has been formed
0:16:59 > 0:17:01'by colonies of marine wildlife.'
0:17:01 > 0:17:06It's incredible, really, when you consider that these gates
0:17:06 > 0:17:10are moving constantly and they're flooded by sea water
0:17:10 > 0:17:15and by fresh water, and yet these columns, these metal columns here
0:17:15 > 0:17:18are covered in sea life including,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22see these small purse-like creatures here?
0:17:22 > 0:17:27These are sea squirts. A whole host of them packed on there.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28Nature's just fabulous.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35'There are many different species living on the lock gates,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37'but one is particularly interesting.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44'The small, bright white rings belong to an invasive tube worm.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46'It doesn't belong in the UK.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'It's been brought here on the hulls of ships
0:17:49 > 0:17:50'from its native Indian Ocean.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55'The conditions are perfect for it here.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57'For a start, it likes brackish water,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00'that is a mixture of sea and fresh water,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03'and the moving water in the locks brings a constant supply of food.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08'This is why the other species are also thriving here.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14'These colonies on their own don't directly damage the lock gates.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'The main problem with them is that they may be hiding a fault.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'Russell is clearing them away to make sure that everything is sound.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28'I guess it won't be too long before they re-establish their colonies once again.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:36With so much coastline around Wales,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40it's probably no surprise that sea angling is a popular past-time.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44I'm heading out at low tide along Ogmore beach
0:18:44 > 0:18:47with Sally Owen and her partner, Mark Cowell.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50They've both competed at international level.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- 'It's therapeutic, isn't it?- It is, yeah. Even on a day like this...'
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Ogmore beach is part of the Glamorgan Heritage Coastline.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03It's a fantastic landscape of eroded cliffs and wide beaches
0:19:03 > 0:19:07made even more dramatic today by a strong breeze and a big sea.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Nearly ready? You going to bait them up now?
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- Going to put worm on first. - You going to put worm? What have you got, lugworm?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- No, ragworm.- What are you aiming to catch?- Hopefully a bass.- Yeah.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23The possibility you might get a flatfish flounder.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I suppose for any fishing, wind's never a good thing, is it?
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Too much wind.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31But then sometimes if it's too calm, the fish aren't feeding so...
0:19:31 > 0:19:34A bit of wind might not be a bad thing?
0:19:34 > 0:19:37You want a happy medium, which you don't always get, do you?
0:19:37 > 0:19:39How long have you been fishing then?
0:19:39 > 0:19:42About seven years. I find it relaxing.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46I used to go to the gym a lot and now I fish. I fish a lot instead.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51But it's just the scenery, you forget all the problems in work.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53What do you think about?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Do you just concentrate so much on the fishing, on the line,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00the tip of the rod, that you don't have time to think,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- or do you just look around? - Well, you don't have time to think.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07You're just thinking about what you're going to do next,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10what bait you are going to use, are you going to use the same tactics?
0:20:10 > 0:20:14And at Ogmore here, you're hoping to catch bass.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18What else would you catch here say in spring, early summer?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21You could get rays, you might get dogfish.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Again, it's dependent on the tides, you know,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27if you're fishing high or low tide and the weather.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30You have to know your fish, don't you?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32You have to know the ecology of the fish, what they feed on,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35where they feed, different aspects of the tide.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37You have to know what they're feeding on
0:20:37 > 0:20:39because that's the bait you're using
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and if they're feeding on crabs and you stick a worm out there,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45they're looking for crab, so, yeah, you've got to know what bait to use
0:20:45 > 0:20:50and what fish are in the locality to be in with a chance of catching one.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Shore fishing is hard work.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01You constantly have to keep on the move as the tide comes in.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Many fish prefer strong current areas like headlands and tidelines
0:21:06 > 0:21:09because currents stir up the sea and brings food to them.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13But not today.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15It's turning out to be a bad fishing day.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17There's too much current
0:21:17 > 0:21:19and fish are avoiding the turbulent shoreline.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24And to make matters worse, the sea is tearing up seaweed underwater
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and carrying it to the tideline.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Sea lettuce, a lot of this.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I normally go to work on Monday morning with dirty nails.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Yeah, I bet. And bits of crab all over you and everything.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Oh, no, I've washed those bits off! - Have you?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50The coastline of Wales is around 1,680 miles long.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53The sea around it is a big area where illegal activities
0:21:53 > 0:21:56could potentially take place undetected,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58in particular drug and human trafficking.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Welsh territorial waters extend to 12 miles from the coast
0:22:04 > 0:22:06and this area is protected by the police.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14I'm heading out of Cardiff Bay with Sergeant Peter Allen
0:22:14 > 0:22:16and PC Owen Whittendale
0:22:16 > 0:22:19of the South Wales Police Specialist Search and Recovery Team.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24We're entering one of the locks of the Cardiff Barrage
0:22:24 > 0:22:26on the way to the Bristol Channel.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32They have one of the fastest boats in Welsh waters.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37It can travel at 44 knots, the equivalent of 50 miles per hour.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43With this speed, they can respond quickly to any incident at sea.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Today, it's just a routine exercise to Flat Holm island
0:22:49 > 0:22:52which is around five miles from Cardiff Bay.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55But their presence in the channel
0:22:55 > 0:22:58is nevertheless an important deterrent to crime.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07So do all of you join the police as ordinary policemen
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and then move on to this job?
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Or do you join specifically to be part of the boat squad, if you like?
0:23:13 > 0:23:16No, join the police as a normal police constable,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19you've got to do minimum two years as a PC in your probation
0:23:19 > 0:23:22before you can apply to do any specialist roles.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24You've got to be a reserve on the unit first
0:23:24 > 0:23:27before you can come on as a full-time member.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29And all of you then have to be divers as well, do you,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- and boat handlers, I would imagine?- Absolutely, yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Anybody coming through, as they first come on as reserves,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38the first thing they do is sent for an eight-week course,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41commercial diving course. Once they get through that, they come back,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43we then put them on a three-week offshore rib course.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47They then go on rope-access courses, become rope-access technicians
0:23:47 > 0:23:51for climbing, for going into mines, tunnels, body recovery, everything.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54They've all got to be skilled in the six or seven disciplines we do.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I always thought, being an estuary here,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00the Bristol Channel would always be flat calm.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03But tanking it out here, that was quite interesting!
0:24:03 > 0:24:06But I imagine you boys have got to be out in all weathers.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Yeah, due to the tidal range here, the sheer volume of water
0:24:09 > 0:24:13that moves up and down the channel, and because it's got quite
0:24:13 > 0:24:16a lot of obstructions, sandbanks, sandbars in it as well,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19the water gets funnelled and because of the high state of the tide
0:24:19 > 0:24:23and the wind, it does create quite a rough sea state out here at times.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Do you enjoy the work, lads?
0:24:25 > 0:24:29It's varied, you never know. Each day we come in, we try to make plans
0:24:29 > 0:24:31for what we're doing, but a lot of the time
0:24:31 > 0:24:34we've got to react to what we've got and our plans may change.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37A few years ago, we dealt with a vessel just off the coast here
0:24:37 > 0:24:40where Greenpeace had gone onto the vessel, attached themselves to the anchors.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43We were taken over there by boat and helicopter and we had to rope access,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46going down the sides removing the protesters,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48cutting them free and lowering them safely into the boats.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Drugs-wise, if there's specific intelligence, we might go on
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and actually start searching, and the same with people trafficking.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56That's a major problem for the UK now as well
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and again we will check, go on board, check crew lists,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02ask who the people are and check them against the documentation we've got.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08The Bristol Channel, in common with other seas around the Welsh coast,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11can be dangerous waters.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Because the UK is a collection of islands,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16we're effectively an obstruction to the sea
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and this causes big tides and fast currents around our coast.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25This, together with frequent bad weather, means that boats and people
0:25:25 > 0:25:29will from time to time get into difficulty and need to be saved.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35The Severn Estuary below the two Severn bridges
0:25:35 > 0:25:37is protected by the Severn Area Rescue Association.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42The water under the bridges is only deep enough for large vessels
0:25:42 > 0:25:44in the central part of the estuary.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Either side of this channel, there are rocks and mudflats.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52I'm with volunteer rescuer Mark Cawardine.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59And your job, you're kind of lifeboatmen for the estuary.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01That's right, yeah.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The Severn Area Rescue Association, we cover, broadly speaking,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07a line that's from Avonmouth across to Newport
0:26:07 > 0:26:10where we've got four stations that cover the entire Severn Estuary,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13so this body of water really is our responsibility.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18And it's a foul day, we've got rain lashing down,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21visibility isn't great but it goes to show
0:26:21 > 0:26:24you must be called out in these conditions all the time.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Well, believe it or not, today's quite a nice day.- Is it?
0:26:27 > 0:26:31It'll get a little bit more choppy and sinister
0:26:31 > 0:26:33once the tide starts ebbing.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35We're really at the top of tide at the moment
0:26:35 > 0:26:38so this is as still as the water will get.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- We'll come back in a couple of hours and, er, yeah...- It'll be rough, yeah.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The sea under the Severn bridges has the second-highest
0:26:47 > 0:26:49rise and fall of the tide in the world.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The currents here can be extreme, and the SARA team train
0:26:54 > 0:26:57to help them locate people who have fallen into the estuary.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00We use a dummy to simulate a body situation
0:27:00 > 0:27:04and we'll monitor and track its movements
0:27:04 > 0:27:06for up to three or four hours
0:27:06 > 0:27:10just to find out exactly where it's likely to go,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13what route it's likely to take at various points of tide.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17And you'd be surprised, with an eight knot tide, in half an hour,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- you're four miles away. - Honestly, that quickly?- Yeah.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25So what's your job outside of this, then?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- Oh, it's nothing to do with boats. - Isn't it? Is it not?
0:27:28 > 0:27:31No, I run residential care services for kids with autism.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- Do you? Oh, wow. - Yeah, quite different.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- So two completely different worlds for you?- Yeah, indeed.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45From the Severn bridges all the way to the Dee Estuary,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Wales's seas support an amazing variety of habitats and species.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56It's arguably the oldest unspoiled landscape of Wales.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Although our sea has been exploited for centuries
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and new technologies allow an even greater scale of exploitation,
0:28:02 > 0:28:07much of this beautiful natural landscape and wildlife is still intact.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10I hope it remains so.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14In one survey, almost three out of four people in Wales
0:28:14 > 0:28:18agreed that the Welsh coast was an important part of their life.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22But the Welsh seascape extends 12 miles from land,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25and I'm lucky enough to be able to dive
0:28:25 > 0:28:27and see the hidden part of Wales.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32It's a fantastic asset to be loved and cherished.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37It's a place that can enhance the quality of all our lives.