Scuba divers accused of endangering Britain's rare seahorses

Scuba divers who are unable to go overseas to dive due to coronavirus have been accused of endangering the future of Britain’s rarest seahorses.

Divers who would usually head to exotic locations to get a sight of rare species have instead been flocking to Studland Bay, Dorset, home of the spiny seahorses.

But without a wildlife license, excess divers and boats are at risk of killing off Britain’s protected species.

Both spiny and short-snouted seahorses are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and any activity that could potentially disturb them requires a wildlife licence or it could lead to enforcement action.

Since the coronavirus pandemic diving domestically has been gaining momentum with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) seeing an increase in local diving certifications across regions globally.

Kristin Valette-Wirth, Chief Brand Officer for PADI Worldwide said: “As diving in the UK begins to resume, we’re anticipating similar trends for diving in home towns and destinations across the UK.

“The ability to travel may be limited, but people are still seeking new ways to discover amazing places close to home.”

But she said it was “imperative” that divers follow environmental best practices and understand local laws and regulations for the “health and well-being of underwater life and their own personal safety”.

It comes as seahorses in Studland Bay reported their best ever year as lockdown meant they were rarely disturbed.

The Seahorse Trust recorded 46 seahorses over six surveys in the last few weeks, including 21 found in an area of 100 yards - their highest number in a single dive yet.

Previously this was nine in 2008. But Neil Garrick-Maidment, Founder and Executive Director of the Seahorse Trust warned that those diving without a license, using flash photography, noisy boats and getting too close to the vulnerable species can make them “stressed” and cause them to die.

Mr Garrick-Maidment said: “Where people would have been going overseas to dive there’s a lot of people diving here in this country, which is great for the diving industry but yes, there are more divers going without licenses.

“Our eyes and ears on the ground are telling us that there are divers there every single day at the moment. Alongside that there is an obvious increase in boat numbers as well.

“Quite a lot of them are actually being very respectful but  it doesn’t take away from the fact that whether it’s boats or divers there’s always a group that will not bother following the law and will always do what’s best for them.

"They’re the ones we worry about." On their last survey dive The Seahorse Trust did not count a single seahorse.

“They’re a highly stressful animal. Seahorses naturally carry within their bodies various diseases and as soon as they get stressed one of those diseases that normally lie dormant and don’t do any harm will take over the body and kill the seahorse within a week or two," explained Mr Garrick-Maidment.

He added that the sound of “350 plus” boats on the Bay is also “really intense” for the fish.

“Covid-19 has been this terrible thing but it has done some amazing stuff for the natural world - it’s quite terrifying to think that all the good it did might be undone in just a couple of weekends,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Marine Management Organisation, who manage the site at Studland Bay, said: “It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb a seahorse without a wildlife licence.

Seahorses can be disturbed by a range of activities including people getting too close, following or touching them. Disturbing seahorses without a licence to do so may lead to enforcement action being taken.”