The marine habitat at Birling Gap

The ocean is a place of mystery and wonder, underneath the seemingly lifeless waters nature finds a home.

The sea is the largest habitat on the planet and the English Channel is just a small part, it may look empty with just the odd sea bird floating on the water with its busy shipping lanes. Storms and currents sometimes bring with them goose barnacles thousands of miles from their tropical homes on flotsam washed up on the beach
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One of the fish to be found is the Lesser weever they are hard to spot hiding in the sandy parts of the beach they inflict a painful sting if trodden on by people. Other fish in the sea of the coast are spotted ray, small-spotted cat shark and black sea bream. (picture spotted ray)

Occasionally marine mammals like pods of bottle nosed dolphins and Harbor porpoise will be seen. Sometimes common seals feed over the wave cut platform at high tide and rarely a bull grey seal will haul themselves up on the beach.