A ‘SNORKEL trail’ has been launched in Portelet Bay as part of a scheme to showcase Jersey’s marine environment.
Snorkel Portelet, created by the Blue Marine Foundation in partnership with the Société Jersiaise and supported by law firm Mourant, is the first in a network of snorkel trails planned for the Island.
The self-guided trail showcases different habitats including rocky reefs, kelp and a small sea-grass bed which supports a range of marine life such as ballan and cuckoo wrasse, spider crabs and snakelocks anemone.
Snorkel Portelet.mp4 from Blue Marine Foundation on Vimeo.
Information about the location of the trail and species and habitats snorkellers can spot will be made available on information boards in the bay, as well as online.
As part of the initiative, the BMF is working with Bouley Bay Dive Centre to provide underwater experiences to more than 180 children, which will include pool sessions, classroom workshops and guided snorkel tours. Open-water swimmer Sally Minty-Gravett, who was today set to open the trail, said: ‘I’m very excited to get involved in the new snorkel trail. As someone who spends most of the time on the surface, it will be amazing to explore what lies underneath while having fun with others too.
‘We cannot appreciate the underwater world without getting into it.’
Freddie Watson, Jersey project officer for the BMF, said: ‘We are incredibly excited to launch Snorkel Portelet and hope it will enable people of all ages to fully immerse themselves in the marine environment.
‘We hope it fosters appreciation for the diverse animals and habitats, from tiny goby fish to slender, colourful cuckoo wrasse and thongweed, one of the longest seaweeds in UK.
‘We are especially thrilled to be supporting schools through an education programme and hope the snorkel trail will inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.’
Snorkellers will soon also be able to take part in a citizen science scheme – led by the Société Jersiaise – through which they can record the marine life they see and help track changes in biodiversity in response to climate change.
The snorkel trail sits within the recently designated Portelet Bay no-take zone, which bans fishing and has made it an offence to remove any marine species – with exceptions for scientific investigation.
The no-take zone is the first to be created in Jersey.
Gareth Jeffreys, chair of the Société Jersiaise marine biology section, said: ‘Portelet Bay will be the first of several planned snorkel trails, but it also further establishes the bay as a natural laboratory with the launch of a citizen science programme.
‘This will allow people to record what they have seen and continually contribute to the wider study of the bay and the NTZ.’
