Rhaglen 3 Tir Cymru

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-Wales is almost surrounded

-by the sea.

-I'm on the west coast of Anglesey...

-..and the views here

-are about as good as they get.

-There exists another landscape,

-beneath the waves.

-If anything,

-it's even richer than this.

-I'm about to embark on a journey

-to discover this terrain.

-It's a journey that begins

-two miles in that direction...

-..under the water.

-Under the Sea

-On the 29th of March, 1883,

-a huge storm hit the Anglesey coast.

-A ship was sailing past Rhosneigr,

-en route to Glasgow...

-..carrying a cargo of sugar

-from Java.

-Strong winds were blowing,

-the ship hit the rocks and sank.

-Over 125 years later...

-..parts of the Norman Court

-remain on the seabed.

-This is the mast,

-now covered in seaweed.

-It has survived

-because it was made of iron.

-A wooden mast would long since

-have decayed in the sea.

-These are sections

-of the ship's hull...

-..which was shattered by the sea.

-Wherever there's a shipwreck...

-..in no time at all, it becomes

-covered in a carpet of creatures.

-Often, seaweed comes first,

-followed by a few shellfish.

-When a ship has been submerged

-for decades...

-..it's a veritable zoo,

-as you can see.

-The Norman Court lies

-some five metres below the surface.

-It attracts fish.

-It's an island of vegetation

-in the middle of the sand.

-An oasis in the desert.

-Fish come here to forage.

-They scour the shipwreck for food.

-The ship also offers sanctuary.

-It's a place to hide...

-..and a place to rest.

-Very rarely will you get so close

-to two members of the shark family.

-That's exactly what we have here.

-They're dogfish, or cat sharks.

-They're fairly common creatures...

-..but it's rare

-to get this close to them.

-A dogfish is easily recognized

-as a member of the shark family.

-Like a shark,

-it moves from side to side.

-Its body is also shaped like a shark.

-Dogfish will let you get

-fairly close to them...

-..but when they sense danger,

-they vanish with a flick of a tail.

-As I swim around the shipwreck,

-I have to remind myself...

-..that I'm in a Welsh sea,

-not in the Caribbean.

-I'm swimming in waters

-just off Rhosneigr.

-Swimming alongside me

-are some tiny creatures.

-Thousands of transparent balls

-with long threads hanging from them.

-These are comb jellies.

-They're also known

-as sea gooseberries.

-They swim around constantly

-and feed on plankton.

-They look like large jellyfish

-seen on the beach...

-..but these are far smaller

-and belong to a different species.

-This is Holyhead.

-The sea within the harbour walls

-is still almost all the time.

-The sea wall

-creates an enclosed haven.

-It's a different marine landscape

-from the one at Rhosneigr.

-Because the sea wall

-stems the tidal flow...

-..sediment builds up on the bedrock

-and creates a muddy landscape.

-It may seem barren...

-..but some experts live here.

-This is a sea pen.

-It belongs to the anemone family.

-It looks like an old writing quill

-standing in the mud.

-Sea pens are very rare in Wales.

-This is a burrowing anemone.

-It's another creature

-that burrows into the mud...

-..to extract nutrients

-from the water.

-Unfortunately, rubbish has been

-thrown into the harbour.

-In time, it becomes

-a part of the muddy landscape.

-Creatures use it as hiding places.

-It's mainly crabs which do this.

-This is a harbour crab.

-It can move very quickly

-when it feels threatened.

-It uses its legs like miniature oars

-to propel itself through the water.

-It would make

-a brilliant rugby player!

-This is Menai Bridge Pier

-on the Menai Strait.

-Bangor University's

-School of Ocean Sciences...

-..moors its research vessel

-Prince Madog here.

-You don't have to go far to discover

-how rich Welsh seas really are.

-This is the pier, below the surface.

-The iron frame looks like

-an enormous underwater sculpture.

-It's covered in plumose anemones.

-These creatures like a solid surface

-on which they can grip.

-The iron framework

-fits the bill perfectly.

-They feed by filtering tiny pieces

-of plankton from the sea.

-The tentacles help guide food

-to the animal's central mouth.

-The nutrient-rich waters

-attract an array of marine life.

-The water in the Menai Strait

-flows just like a normal river.

-For around 4,000 years

-following the last Ice Age...

-..the Menai Strait didn't exist.

-At that time, sea levels were low.

-This was then a valley, with a small

-river flowing from the high ground.

-Under the Menai Suspension Bridge,

-the current today is very complex.

-The water moves

-in several directions.

-It has a real impact

-on what lives below the surface.

-The Menai Strait is among the

-richest habitats in Welsh waters.

-There's a simple reason for that.

-An incredibly strong tide

-flows in and out four times a day.

-It carries with it

-all manner of food and nutrients.

-All the creatures seen here

-filter food from the water.

-It's a kaleidoscope of colour.

-There are sponges, anemones, crabs

-and all sorts of creatures here.

-It's like being in an aquarium.

-The tidal flow may be strong...

-..but huge storms

-don't affect this habitat.

-It's in a sheltered spot,

-far from the open coast.

-This suits the sponges

-and other creatures which live here.

-Life thrives here.

-This is an edible crab,

-the type of crab we eat.

-It navigates the rocks expertly.

-The velvet swimming crab

-is also very mobile.

-This is the fiercest of our crabs.

-It takes very little

-to anger this crab...

-..and it knows exactly

-how to protect itself.

-Here, we have two shore crabs.

-One is stung by an anemone.

-These are the crabs

-seen on our beaches.

-They can also be fierce.

-Every living creature

-eats something.

-The life cycle of this sea gooseberry

-is about to end.

-Like crabs,

-prawns often hide in crevices.

-This particular crevice

-is occupied.

-It's better to share

-with a friendlier relative.

-Penmon lighthouse and Puffin Island,

-to the east of Anglesey.

-Puffin Island is made of limestone.

-Below the surface,

-the sea has eroded the limestone...

-..to create platforms

-of white rock.

-Seals enjoy being here.

-These are grey seals.

-They're playful creatures.

-It's an honour to be in the water

-with these animals.

-They are masters of their habitat.

-One tiny flick of their tails

-and they've gone.

-On land, they instantly

-move away from people.

-When they're underwater,

-they're fearless.

-They're inquisitive animals.

-This pup is only about a year old.

-He seems fascinated by my feet!

-He seems unsure

-what kind of creature I am...

-..but he's not afraid

-to inspect me up close.

-Down here, the seals make me look

-like a clumsy bag of lard!

-This is their habitat...

-..and I feel as if

-they're playing tricks on me!

-They go and hide, then come back

-to see what's going on.

-One of them even gave me a kiss!

-He's a real sweetheart.

-There he is, back again!

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-Dinas Dinlle

-on Gwynedd's north coast.

-On the hill above the beach,

-there's an old Iron Age fort.

-Parts of the fort

-have fallen into the sea.

-The Welsh coast

-is constantly eroding.

-Part of the landscape

-has been lost to the sea.

-Underwater, near Dinas Dinlle,

-is Caer Arianrhod.

-It's a cluster of rocks which is

-sometimes visible at low tide.

-This location is named

-in the Mabinogion...

-..in the tale about Arianrhod,

-Gwydion's sister.

-Was there really a fort here once?

-Or is it merely a mythical location?

-These rocks were deposited here

-by Ice Age glaciers.

-The sea is very shallow here

-and the sun warms the water.

-It's perfect for plants.

-Like land plants,

-marine plants are seasonal.

-They're at their best

-during spring and summer.

-This is sea lace.

-It's a long, thin seaweed

-stretching towards the surface.

-The rocks of Caer Arianrhod

-are covered in vegetation.

-Fish hide among the seaweed.

-This is a corkwing wrasse.

-This is an example

-of the seaweed down here.

-In this square metre alone...

-..I can see at least half a dozen

-different varieties of seaweed.

-You know you're in shallow water

-when you see this green seaweed.

-It's called sea lettuce.

-This is the sea's pasture.

-The combination of light, warmth

-and a sheltered location...

-..creates a stable,

-unchanging habitat.

-It's a very rich habitat.

-The movement of the seaweed

-is at its best when the tide turns.

-Aberdaron Bay

-on the Lleyn Peninsula.

-Like most of Wales's bays,

-it's a fairly sheltered location.

-Due to this, sand and gravel

-accumulates in the bay.

-But in one part, an unnatural reef

-has been created by a shipwreck.

-Seaweed conceals the ship...

-..but the bow is visible.

-The ship sank over a century ago

-after hitting a rock in the bay.

-It may be an iron ship, but the sea

-is still breaking it up gradually.

-Very little of the hull remains...

-..but the boiler is prominent.

-The wreck has attracted fish.

-Several species can be seen here.

-This is a shoal

-of two-spotted gobies.

-A pouting hides beneath the ship.

-The larger fish without the stripes

-is a poor cod.

-These fish are common

-on the Welsh coast.

-This fish is anything but common.

-This trigger fish

-was near the wreck.

-It's quite scarce

-and it's rarely seen this far north.

-It likes to hide between the rocks.

-Its shape helps it do just that.

-Further out in Aberdaron Bay

-are the Gwylan Islands.

-They are made of hard, ancient rock.

-That's why they survived

-in the middle of a bay.

-The softer land surrounding them

-has been lost to the sea.

-The tidal flow around the islands

-is very strong.

-The tide usually tears through

-a place like this.

-That usually encourages a variety

-of sponges to grow on the rocks.

-This is called a carrot sponge,

-for obvious reasons.

-Sponges remain in one place,

-filtering nutrients from water...

-..so they need

-constantly flowing water.

-That's why they thrive here.

-I've seen sponges

-in other parts of Wales...

-..but they were always small.

-Look at this big yellow sponge.

-It's as though someone

-put cement on the stone.

-It's a colourful sponge.

-There's a scorpion spider crab

-next to it.

-It covers itself with sponges.

-It breaks off fragments of sponge

-and sticks them to its body...

-..as a form of camouflage.

-A fish hides on the seabed.

-The short-spined sea scorpion

-looks just like a rock.

-It waits for any creature

-that hasn't noticed it...

-..and as it passes by,

-catches it.

-This is Cardigan Bay,

-between Pwllheli and Abersoch.

-It's an area of flat beaches...

-..where the sea has deposited

-a mixture of mud, sand and gravel.

-The flow of the sea

-is always strong here.

-There are more examples of fish

-that use camouflage here.

-The dragonet

-tends to bury itself on the seabed.

It can alter its coloration from location to location...

-..to match the background.

-The tub gurnard is another creature

-that lives on the seabed.

-Its front fins have evolved

-to form small fingers...

-..which it uses

-to walk along the seabed.

-When it swims, its fins

-look just like a butterfly's wings.

-Starfish also live on the seabed.

-This is a spiny starfish.

-It likes a stony beach and moves

-very slowly along the seabed...

-..eating small creatures,

-be they dead or alive.

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-Saint Patrick's Causeway.

-A shingle reef which stretches

-for 12 miles west...

-..off the coast of Ardudwy

-in north Wales.

-This causeway is in fact

-made of glacial deposits...

-..left here

-at the end of the Ice Age.

-Saint Patrick's Causeway

-is rarely visible above the sea.

-It happens at low tide

-about four times a year...

-..and even then, only for

-about two hours at a time.

-This is a remarkable sight.

-You usually only see the outline

-of the reef in the water.

-There are other causeways

-on the Welsh coast.

-Sarn Cynfelyn

-is north of Aberystwyth.

-The causeway isn't as visible,

-due to the shadows cast by clouds...

-..but the masses of rocks,

-known as moraines...

-..can be seen stretching in a line

-from the coast.

-Below the surface, the moraine rocks

-have been washed clean by the sea.

-Among the small stones are big rocks.

-We're familiar with the effects

-of the Ice Age on the mainland...

-..especially in famous places

-like Cwm Idwal.

-The undersea landscape

-also bears witness to the Ice Age.

-The causeway itself

-was deposited by glaciers...

-..but a few huge rocks

-were also left behind.

-This all happened

-when the glacier melted.

-Unlike on land,

-where rocks are perhaps bare...

-..these are covered in vegetation

-and all sorts of creatures.

-Shallow water covers the causeways.

-In essence, it's a reef on which

-several types of seaweed grows.

-Most of the seaweed

-grows in the spring...

-..and dies in late summer.

-Creatures hide among the seaweed.

-This is a spider crab.

-There were no spider crabs

-in our waters 50 years ago...

-..but they're now quite common.

-This is the largest crab

-you'll find off the Welsh coast.

-Look at that!

-It's massive!

-For some unknown reason,

-spider crabs disappear in winter.

-Perhaps they head to deep waters,

-but no-one really knows.

-I'd better put him back!

-One of the reasons

-why crabs move to deeper waters...

-..may be because this vegetation

-vanishes in the winter.

-They're certainly here

-in large numbers during the summer.

-Further down the Ceredigion coast

-is New Quay.

-It's a harbour town

-with a fishing tradition.

-At the far end of the harbour,

-there's a fish processing plant.

-Its presence has an impact

-on the marine wildlife.

-This is amazing!

-These are dahlia anemones.

-They're quite common

-along the west coast of Wales...

-..but you rarely see

-such a cluster of them.

-They're here purely because

-of the fish processing plant.

-The waste thrown into the sea

-by the fish processors...

-..feeds these anemones.

-That waste floats in the water

-all around this area.

-This doesn't damage

-the natural habitat...

-..but it's a good example...

-..of the way wildlife capitalizes

-on any nourishment it can find.

-A wide variety of fish shoal

-near the harbour rocks in New Quay.

-These are whitebait.

-These are the small fish

-that seabirds eat.

-It's good to see

-so many fish here.

-The wealth of the sea

-impacts on the wealth of the land.

-Without these fish,

-birds like puffins would vanish.

-These are sea bass.

-They're much bigger fish.

-They like to shoal close to rocks

-in foamy seawater.

-These fish are very popular

-on dinner tables nowadays.

-There are caves and deep crevices

-among the rocks.

-The water is calmer here.

-Being in a cave like this

-which is full of clear water...

-..is like being in a huge aquarium.

-It gives you a real sense

-of the power of the waves.

-There are some small fish here...

-..hiding among the seaweed

-and the rocks.

-This is a haven for them.

-They come here to get away

-from the bigger fish during the day.

-These little fish are very rare

-on the Welsh coast.

-Transparent gobies.

-They swim by darting here and there.

-I've never seen such a large group

-of them before.

-So, is our marine wildlife altering

-as a result of climate change?

-At this moment in time,

-nobody really knows.

-The rocks off New Quay

-are covered in mussels.

-Crabs eat them.

-It's like swimming

-in a huge aquarium.

-This demonstrates just how rich

-in wildlife this area really is.

-I'm surrounded by animals.

-There's an edible crab up there

-and a big lobster here.

-I must admit,

-I eat all these creatures...

-..but it's much better to see them

-in their natural habitat.

-Abercastle Bay on the north coast

-of Pembrokeshire.

-This part of the coast

-is pounded by huge waves.

-Beneath the waves, there's a seaweed

-that can withstand the sea's power.

-Kelp.

-Swimming through kelp is like

-flying through a rainforest canopy.

-This sight isn't unique

-to Abercastle.

-Kelp grows along the Welsh coast

-in areas where currents are strong.

-It also grows

-on the lowest parts of the beach.

-There are several types of kelp.

-Each has wide leaves

-and strong roots.

-You can see how this particular

-variety of seaweed can withstand...

-..the enormous power of the waves

-which sometimes pound the rocks.

-These long leaves are like leather.

-They're really tough.

-The roots grip the bottom.

-They have a stranglehold

-on this old chain on the seabed.

-It takes a lot of strength

-to tear them away from it.

-Moving through the growth

-is an almost unearthly experience.

-The shapes and the movement

-look like an undersea monster.

-This is a ballan wrasse.

-Its Latin name is Labrus bergylta.

-Seaweed-filled water

-is this fish's favourite habitat.

-Spider crabs have flourished here

-during the past ten years.

-They thrive in almost every habitat

-the Welsh coast has to offer.

-The spider crab

-also lives in Abercastle.

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-Skomer Island,

-west of Pembrokeshire.

-The area around the island and parts

-of the Pembrokeshire coast...

-..form Wales's only

-Marine Nature Reserve.

-It was so designated because

-the underwater habitat is so rich.

-There's a wide variety of life here.

-There are more

-dense kelp forests here.

-The kelp grips the rocks

-with its thick roots.

-Just like a rainforest...

-..other plants grow in the shelter

-offered by the underwater trees.

-Sponges and other creatures

-thrive in the undergrowth.

-The gushing sea carries food

-to feed small creatures...

-..which filter nourishment

-from the water.

-These are hydroids.

-A community of tiny creatures

-that live together on a frame.

-They've built something similar

-to a bush here.

-This is the star of Skomer Island

-- the sea fan.

-Look at the size of this sea fan!

-It must be half a metre wide.

-A sea fan is a colony

-of thousands of tiny creatures...

-..that all live together.

-They filter nourishment

-from the sea.

-I never imagined

-I'd see something like this here.

-I'd only expect to see a sea fan...

-..in Australia, the Red Sea

-or the Caribbean.

-Anywhere but the waters of Wales!

-I found one, and a huge one at that,

-near Skomer Island.

-This has been growing here

-for a century.

-This is the most northerly point

-in Wales where you'll see a sea fan.

-The sea is just as warm

-in parts of north Wales...

-..but, for some reason, the sea fan

-hasn't crossed Cardigan Bay yet.

-The south Gower coast.

-Here are two coastal areas

-that are close geographically...

-..but which have vastly different

-underwater landscapes.

-That's due to the difference

-in the sea's power in both locations.

-This is Port-Eynon.

-Under the sea, there's a rocky bed

-and limestone reefs.

-It's close to the shore,

-but no large plants can grow here.

-Every plant and creature is small

-and stuck to the rock.

-Anything large is smashed to pieces

-by powerful waves...

-..but small creatures

-can survive and thrive here.

-This is a long-spined sea scorpion.

-It's similar to its relative,

-the short-spined sea scorpion...

-..but is slightly bigger.

-It likes to live on the seabed.

-It can sometimes be seen

-in rock pools.

-If you try to catch one, be careful.

-It's spiny, and that's how

-it defends itself.

-When another creature swallows one,

-they tend to spit it out...

-..because of the spines.

-It has the perfect camouflage.

-It hides on rocks, ready to pounce

-on any crab or small fish.

-Oxwich Bay is close to Port-Eynon.

-It's a very sheltered bay

-with a long, stable beach.

-During WW2, a stricken ship

-was towed to the calm waters here.

-60 years may have passed,

-but most of it is still intact.

-The ship was carrying goods

-from New York to Glasgow.

-It was torpedoed by a submarine

-in the Irish Sea.

-It was towed here to see

-whether it was possible to save it.

-It wasn't.

-I'm looking through

-what was once a porthole.

-This ship has been here since 1945.

-It's covered in vegetation.

-Around the porthole

-are dead man's fingers.

-It's not one creature, but a cluster

-of animals that live together.

-They're really pretty,

-but very aptly named.

-They look like a dead hand

-hanging in the water.

-The wreck is still here because

-the force of the waves is weak.

-In any other location,

-the sea would have shattered it.

-Milford Haven.

-This is actually a flooded valley.

-At the end of the Ice Age,

-only a small river flowed here.

-Between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago...

-..the sea rose, flooding the valley

-and creating a deep estuary.

-That's why it's one of Britain's

-most important ports today.

-There are shipwrecks here too.

-These are remnants of ships

-sunk during World War II.

-There are also boats

-that capsized and were submerged.

-Here they shall remain.

-The sea around Milford Haven

-isn't strong enough to destroy them.

-They become a part of the seabed.

-Animals and plants live on them.

-Sea squirts...

-..sponges...

-..and anemones.

-This sea squirt has a great name.

-Light bulb sea squirts.

-They look like

-a collection of bulbs.

-They all thrive because the sea's

-constant movement...

-..carries food for them.

-That means Milford Haven is a great

-place for exotic creatures too.

-The problem in this estuary...

-..is that large ships come here

-from all over the world...

-..carrying exotic creatures

-with them.

-When they clean out the tanks...

-..those creatures

-are released into the water.

-Some of them then thrive

-and take over...

-..just like the rhododendron

-in Snowdonia.

-The leathery sea squirt

-seems unremarkable.

-It's just a brown creature

-living among the other creatures.

-But it's an example of the way

-our actions impact on marine life.

-It's easy to forget about it, as you

-rarely see a leathery sea squirt.

-It's important to remember that,

-unlike the land...

-..most of the marine landscape

-is a relatively natural landscape.

-It remains largely unaffected

-by human actions.

-That's what makes it

-one of our most important landscapes.

-On my journey

-through Wales's marine landscape...

-..I've seen a wealth of wildlife.

-Some people travel abroad

-to see similar sights...

-..without realizing there are great

-marine landscapes and wildlife...

-..much closer to home.

-These magnificent sights

-can all be seen in Wales.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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