A second seahorse has turned up because of the severe storms in Poole Harbour in Dorset. Dave Hartwell of the Water Sports Academy www.thewatersportsacademy.com found the mature 15cm female Spiny Seahorse washed up on the beach. He had the quickness of thought to put her into a bucket, which saved her life. He then contacted the trust, as a direct result of the article about the seahorse found on Knoll Beach which was recorded in the Bournemouth Echo yesterday, to find out what to do. Because seahorses are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (as a direct result of lobbying and hard work of the trust volunteers) it is illegal to kill, disturb or take seahorses from the wild, so Dave under guidance from the trust took a few picture (without flash, which is illegal) of the seahorse against a ruler, so we could get an accurate measurement of her and then put her back into the sea, into a sheltered spot so she would not wash up again.
Thanks to Dave and the academy this is a very lucky seahorse and his actions have directly helped the local population of Spiny Seahorses.
