Sensitive Seahorses

Three weeks ago, I got the call I’d been waiting for. Fellow diver, friend, and photographer Terry Griffiths had found a pair of seahorses in South Devon. They have been recorded there before, but infrequently. I’ve been filming UK seahorses for five years, under licence from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The story of seahorses in Studland Bay has been one of tragic decline. Could things be looking up at last?

I dived the site and found a heavily pregnant male close to giving birth, so I dived back to back during daylight hours for the next seven days. On day two, the female returned and thereafter was usually within five metres of her mate. It’s an incredible sight when they meet – they perform a little dance and entwine their tails.

During the week I filmed them, the animals spent a lot of time feeding. As the days passed, the male seemed to get more and more uncomfortable, often writhing around in what appeared to be labour pains.

His babies were born at night. Sadly, I wasn’t there with my camera. The following day, his pouch was slack and the female had moved in very close. They spent the whole day together in the same clump of Sea Oak.

Seahorses usually mate again shortly after the brood is released from the male’s pouch. The female deposits new eggs and he carries them to full gestation.

Next morning, the male was clearly ready to mate again but his advances were rejected. Later that afternoon, the female was more interested, and as darkness began to fall, I filmed the amazing spectacle of their mating dance, where they swim up the water column and bump bellies.

Next day, the male was alone again, carrying a full pouch. The cycle had begun once more.

I don’t believe any of this behaviour has been filmed in the UK before. I feel extremely lucky to have witnessed these extraordinary events, but also to have filmed them under licence, which means I can share them with you. I’ve attached a snippet (6 seconds) from their greeting dance to give you a sense of diving with these wonderful, sensitive animals. I hope to be able to show you the whole story on your TV screens before too long.

If you plan to dive in South Devon, please remember these animals are protected by law. Seahorses can be very difficult to spot, so try to avoid disturbing the seabed. You may be sitting on a seahorse!

Special thanks to Terry Griffiths for all his help, and to Steve Trewhella and Julie Hatcher for all their expertise and guidance.