On arrival at Chesil Beach Visitor Centre we were warmly greeted and our children spent some time exploring the visitor centre whilst we waited for everyone to arrive. They had great fun playing with the magnetic crabbing game, and brushing in the sand box to uncover fossils. Then it was time for our seashore safari adventure to begin!
Our guides explained that we would be venturing out to the coastline, and reminded us of some important rules, including how we should leave everything how we found it to avoid disturbing habitats. They provided us with a list of creatures and plants to watch out for on our trip. We headed down to the beach and the children had lots of fun searching for beetles – although we didn’t find any, we saw lots of holes in the sand that they were hiding in! Next we searched for crabs, and the children were absolutely thrilled to find lots of them! We put them into buckets to examine and then returned them to their homes.
We then ventured further along the coastline and used binoculars to look at some of the birds, including a huge gathering of starlings. It was great to chat to other families along the way, and to watch the children playing together against the stunning backdrop of Chesil Beach. We found anemones, seaweed, limpets, more crabs, and many other creatures – all of which enthralled the kids.
After a good couple of hours exploring, we headed back to the visitor centre and gathered together for some delicious ice cream and beautifully decorated cupcakes – the perfect ending to our adventure!
We all had a fantastic time – although we have visited Chesil beach many times, this trip gave us a totally different perspective on the wildlife in the area, as well as an opportunity for us and our children to connect with other families.
30/8/23 Francesca Bramley
