Small Waves And Seagulls

Soft clouds give an appropriate background to this gentle day, where the waves barely reach the tops of your toes, and the birds are too lazy to peck at your picnic basket. Such a day as this must be remembered in silence with eyes closed, allowing your underused senses to fully record all the evidence of a few hours when nothing bad or stressful happened and you were able to enjoy a bit of the fineness of life. Animals living along the coast vary enormously, some live along coasts to nest like puffins, sea turtles and rockhopper penguins. Sea snails and various kinds of barnacles live on the coast and scavenge on food deposited by the sea. Most coastal animals are used to humans in developed areas, such as dolphins and seagulls who eat food thrown for them by tourists. Since the coastal areas are all part of the littoral zone, there is a profusion of marine life found just off-coast. There are many kinds of seabirds on the coast. Pelicans and cormorants join up with terns and oystercatchers to forage for fish and shellfish on the coast. There are also sea lions on the coast of Wales and other countries. Coastal areas are famous for their kelp beds. Kelp is a fast growing seaweed that grows up to a metre a day. Corals and anemones are true animals, but live a similar lifestyle as plants do. Mangroves and salt marsh are important coastal vegetation types in topical and temperate environments respectively.