What we saw at the seaside…

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. The sea, the great unifier, is man’s only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat.

Jacques Yves Cousteau

If you are of a certain generation, you may remember Cousteau’s magical television documentaries from a time when colour television was beginning. For the first time, world-wide audiences - whether they lived close to shores or a thousand miles away - could see the beauty of under the sea. But Cousteau was also one of the first to warn about the consequences of pollution.

Now our understanding is better, but all is not lost. While governments and international bodies move to take care of the big stuff, many individuals are looking out for the little things.

Aileen McClenaghan is one of them. Her Instagram page full of little horror stories and hope as she documents what she finds on walks along our sea shores, so of course, I had to join her on a sunny, breezy early August morning.

From left: Aileen with a full bag of rubbish collected from Ballymacormick Point in 15 minutes; lifting a dead herring gull on our walk - Aileen has credentials to allow her to do this; a real jellyfish (top beside the rock) and a plastic bag - similar, but one’s deadly ….. and some “treasure” including vulcanised rubber bottle stoppers, Smartie lids from different decades and the weird little “frozen Charlotte” bath toy.

If you want to know more, or perhaps invite Aileen to talk to your school class or group, contact her via her Instagram account @whattheseasaw or by email whattheseasaw@hotmail.com

Music by audionautix.com