Two octopi have been filmed walking back to sea after being washed up along a Welsh shore following the stormy weather.
It is not uncommon for marine life to be washed ashore by strong winds and tides. Following the recent weather conditions of Storm Eunice and Franklin, thousands of starfish were spotted on a beach in Pembrokeshire and there have also been other reports of large amounts of marine life being found dead.
Portuguese man o' wars were also spotted in Crofty and Oxwich in Swansea.
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But at Traeth Gwyn Beach in New Quay, wildlife guides for SeaMôr Dolphin Watching Boat Trips were shocked to find two curled Octopi in a healthy condition "wandering on the beach".
Curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) are not an uncommon sight in Welsh waters but it's less common to see them on the shore.
The wildlife guides spotted the wandering Octopus on Monday, February 21, shortly before low tide at 4.45pm.
"It's not something you see everyday... rock pool and coastal wildlife is fascinating to look at, but it's important to remember not to touch or remove the wildlife," said Josh Pedley, one of the local guides who was enjoying a brisk walk alongside his partner and fellow guide, Fran Fitzpatrick.
"We ended up escorting one of the octopi back to the sea but that was under an exceptional circumstance.
"I know in recent storms some octopi have been found washed up dead recently, this was the first time I had ever seen any alive still" he said.
The wildlife guides said they wanted to encourage more caution from people visiting Welsh coasts.
"We get so many tourists here who aren't in tune with the natural world, that had this happened in summer, it probably would have ended up in someone's bucket to no end of prodding and poking. We want to encourage people to enjoy nature responsibly" he added.
Fran Fitzpatrick ended up carrying one of the trapped Octopi to safety after discovering it in an exposed spot along the beach. Having worked in the conservation sector, the-28-year-old had moved to New Quay last year.
"Josh and I both worry quite a lot about how much wildlife and shells get disturbed and removed from the shores. New Quay receives a huge number of tourists each year and many do not follow the 'look but don't touch' rule," she said.
"We have even had incidents of seal pups being abandoned by mothers when too many people took selfies with them or walked their dogs off lead too close and scared the parents away. It is important to help if an animal needs it, but people need to do so intelligently and not interfere without thinking through the consequences first.
"Responsible and informed approaches when deciding whether to touch or approach a wild animal are important".
Both guides post regular wildlife updates on social media, which you can follow by clicking here or here.
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