Boundary of the SAC

Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation

Falmouth Bay, including the rivers Fal and Helford, is designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). SACs are strictly protected sites designated under the EC Habitats Directive. The area is one of a network of high quality conservation sites in Europe. We operate our Sea Safaris in and around the area, as it's home to a whole host of wildlife. Many of the important species are found under the water, but we are sometimes lucky in seeing the larger animals, such as bottlenose dolphins feeding and frolicking in the bay.

Habitats and Wildlife:

• Eel grass beds are found on the sea floor. This is a Mediterranean species which can survive here due to the mild sea temperature. It is the only underwater flowering plant found in the UK. Many species of fish lay their eggs in eel grass and also sea hares. In the past the long snouted sea horse has been seen in the Helford eel grass, so hopefully it may be seen again if the habitat is kept in pristing condition.
• Maerl beds cover some of the sea bed at the mouths of the rivers. This is a rare type of slow growing calcified seaweed. Both maerl beds and eel grass are easily damaged by dredging and ship anchors.
  
• Extensive mud flats are exposed at low tide at the top of the tidal estuaries. This attracts many species of wading birds such as curlew, redshank, greenshank and whimbrel, including many migratory waders. They feed on the many different invertebrates which burrow in the soft mud.
• Sandy and shingle shores support a variety of different worms. The peacock worm is particularly spectacular as it spreads out fans to capture food from the water.
  
• Exposed Rocky shores and underwater reefs provide a haibtat for anemones, starfish, sea urchins, crabs, lobsters, goby and blenny. Rockpooling provides the perfect opportunity to try and spot some of these species.
  
• Rocky sea cliffs attract nesting fulmars in the spring time and provide a home for peregrine falcons all year round.
  

Fishing Restrictions:

• Falmouth Bay is reknowned for its oysters. These have to be harvested in the traditional way using the power of the wind or the tide to dredge the sea floor. This protects the oyster beds from dredging using power boats, which may lead to them becoming un-sustainable. Join us on a Sea Safari between September and April to see the traditional working boats harvesting the oysters.
• Scallop dredging has been restricted in Falmouth bay since 2007. Dredging was considered damaging to the maerl beds so now only a small percentage of the area is allowed to be dredged by local fishermen. In the rivers Fal and Helford the practise has been prohibited since 2003.
• The Helford river is an important fish nursery area, especially for bass, providing shelter for fish to lay their eggs and for the young fish to mature. An amazing 80 species of fish have been recorded in these waters.