Jersey
Ocean observatory

Your portal to Jersey's underwater world

The Observatory SCIENCE CENTRE
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Welcome to the Jersey Ocean Observatory, where you can meet extraordinary marine life and explore the spectacular habitats found beneath the waves.

Located off the north-west coast of France, Jersey’s unique marine environment supports a wide range of wildlife, with around 3,200 known animal and plant species living within or above it. Magnificent maerl beds, rare pink sea fans and captivating cuttlefish share these waters with the biggest pod of bottlenose dolphins in Europe, as well as sunset cup corals, which are only found in four other places in the British Isles. 

Take a dive into Jersey’s underwater world and learn how to observe and explore our incredible marine life.

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The
Observatory

Through this underwater video archive, you can swim with enchanting marine life, explore the breath-taking world above the waves and examine the magical marine habitats found within Jersey’s waters.

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Fish

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Shanny

Other common name(s): Common blenny
Scientific name: Lipophrys pholis
Location: Portelet Bay
Depth: 1m
Temp °C: 12.5
Fact: Often found in rockpools or shallow waters, shannys are shy and often missed due to their clever camouflage. They can also survive out of water during low tide, hopping back into the water if disturbed, earning them the name of “sea frog”! To help identify them, they are the only European species of Blenny to not have a tentacle of skin above its head. Males are almost black during their breeding season (April-August).
Video credit: Matt Jarvis
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Ballan wrasse

Scientific name: Labrus bergylta
Location: Portelet Bay / Bouley Bay
Depth: 8m
Temp °C: 12.5
Fact: The largest fish in the wrasse family, this species use their incredibly strong teeth to pluck molluscs and barnacles off rocks to eat. They also have teeth in their throat! As a group, wrasse are the most common fish in shallower waters, charming divers and snorkellers. They can be a variety of colours, from orange through brown and to green. Young Ballan wrasse can be seen in very shallow water and are bright green. Did you know, all Ballan wrasse start life as females and only the most dominant fish will turn to males in later life! 
Video credit: Freddie Watson / Chris Isaacs
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Pouting

Other common name(s): Bib
Scientific name: Trisopterus luscus
Location: Portelet Bay / Bouley Bay
Temp °C: 15.5
Fact: One of our species caught by local fishermen, Bib shimmer with silver which fades to white on its belly and appears to be striped, with a typical black spot (roughly the size of their eye) at the base of their pectoral fins (the fins to the side of their head). Adults can lose their banding as they get older, becoming completely dark brown. Look out for Bib’s beard-like chin barbel too!
Video credit: Emily Dow / Chris Isaacs / Grace Bailey
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Conger eel

Other common name(s): European conger eel
Scientific name: Conger conger
Other featured species: Pouting
Location: Shockland wreck (south coast of Jersey)
Depth: 30m
Fact: Often only spotted with their heads popping out from rocks or holes in shipwrecks, the Conger eel hides in the day and normally only emerges at night to feed. They have grey-blue or grey-black scaleless skin. Many Congers are found as far as 500m deep, descending to a huge 4000m deep to spawn. The fish sharing the spotlight with this Conger are Bib!
Video credit: Grace Bailey / Adam West
Temp °C: 14.5
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Sand eel

Other common name(s): Lesser sand eel
Scientific name: Ammodytes tobianus or Ammodytes marinus
Location: Plemont bay
Depth: 4m
Fact: Sand eels are an incredibly important food source for lots of marine life. Recently, the UK Government has banned fishing for sand eels, which is great news for the seabirds and other fish, seals and dolphins that feed on them. Sand eels will hide in sandy seabeds to hide from predators. Between the months of September and March they rarely emerge from these seabeds, only to spawn. Look out for large shoals of these sleek, silver fish when snorkelling!
Video credit: Freddie Watson

Marine Mammals & Seabirds

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Bottlenose dolphin

Scientific name: Tursiops truncatus
Location: South coast
Temp °C: 17.5
Fact: Jersey has one of the largest pods of Bottlenose dolphins in the whole of Europe, and potentially worldwide, with around 400 individuals that live within Jersey’s sea, where up to 15 dolphins can be seen in each group. They like to feed mainly on fish such as smelt, a small silver fish, often working as a team to hunt. In Britain, they are the biggest of the bottlenose dolphins and are the largest dolphin in Jersey’s waters. Living up to 50 years old, they are very sociable, often seen playing alongside a boat, enjoying surfing the waves from its bow.
Video credit: John Ovenden
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Common dolphin

Other common name(s): Short-beaked common dolphin
Scientific name: Delphinus delphis
Location: West of La Corbière
Temp °C: 18.0
Fact: In pods of up to 30 individuals, Common dolphins are often found offshore but come close to shore to feed. Living up to 35 years old, they are the smallest dolphin found in Jersey’s waters but are not the smallest cetacean; this is the Harbour porpoise, which are not dolphins but are also classified as ‘toothed whales’. Similar to other dolphins, Common dolphins are very sociable and can be seen breaching and showing off aerial acrobatics.
Video credit: John Ovenden
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Risso’s dolphin

Scientific name: Grampus griseus
Location: South West coast
Fact: Often seen in deeper waters, Risso’s dolphins can be observed in pods of 10-30 individuals. They are born a darker colour and get lighter with age, with some becoming almost white. It’s common to see scars on their bodies from interactions with other dolphins from their teeth, or from battles with prey such as squid, and octopus, who have been returning in larger numbers to our sea recently, which hopefully means we will see more Risso’s! They are almost the same size as Bottlenose dolphins but live slightly shorter at up to 35 years old.
Video credit: John Ovenden
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Oystercatcher

Scientific name: Haematopus ostralegus
Other featured species: Ruddy turnstones / Herring gull
Location: Anne Port / Bouley Bay
Fact: Even though their name says differently, Oyster catchers actually eat mostly cockles and mussels, as well as other invertebrates that live in mud, sand, or between rocks. You might be able to spot them using their long, pointy bills to prise the shells of one open. Listen out for their distinctive “peep-peep-peep” calls that you can hear in this video!
Video credit: Matt Jarvis
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Great northern diver

Other common name(s): Common loon
Scientific name: Gavia immer
Location: La Rocque Harbour
Fact: Great northern divers breed inland in Greenland, Iceland and North America, usually around lakes, then visit our waters in winter where they spend their time out at sea. They can also be spotted in autumn and spring during their migration and can be mistaken for cormorants from afar. This cormorant has its winter plumage (feathers), whereas in summer, their head and neck become entirely black with a distinctive speckled stripe around the neck, with their backs looking much more speckled white.
Video credit: John Ovenden

Above The Waves

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Wildlife watching

Location: All around Jersey’s sea
Featured species: Roseate turn / Risso’s dolphin / Humpback whale / Harbour porpoise / Ocean sunfish / Leatherback turtle
Fact: You can watch wildlife by rockpooling, snorkelling or boating. John Ovenden has spent hundreds of hours out on Jersey’s sea capturing incredible shots like these. Have you spotted a dolphin, seal, whale, shark or other large marine animal? Download the Epicollect5 app and add the project “SJ Dolphin Watch” to log your sightings!
Learn more: Read this guide on wildlife watching in Jersey, which includes a code of conduct that should be followed. We must be respectful of the wildlife we see- remember, we are coming into their home!
Video credit: John Ovenden / Andy de la Cour
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Rockpooling

Location: Le Rocque / Green Island
Fact: With a huge 12m tidal range, Jersey offers unique and diverse intertidal habitats, providing homes for many species, from anemones to gobys, nudibranchs to star fish. If you turn a stone over, make sure you return it to it’s original position, otherwise it could take more than 5 years to recover!
Learn more: Check out the National Trust for Jersey’s useful rockpooling guide. to identify species and learn tips for rockpooling
Video credit: Matt Jarvis / Grace Bailey
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Low-impact fishing

Fishing types: Scallop hand-diving / Rod and line / Spearfishing / Potting
Fact: Fishing has been an important part of Jersey’s culture for hundreds of years. Here, you can see examples of low-impact fishing; the fishing methods with the lowest impact to the environment. These forms of fishing are very selective and cause minimal disturbance to the seabed and other marine life. All of these fishers are doing a great job at looking after Jersey’s sea! Have you heard of Jersey Hand Dived?
Learn more: Fancy trying angling or low-water fishing? Read this guide first and see here for fishing bag limits.
Video credit: Ocean Culture Life / Matt Jarvis / Max Hugo / Kathryn Smith
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Recreation

Location: Portelet Bay / St Catherine’s Bay / Bouley Bay
Fact: With Jersey being 95% sea, there is a huge area to explore and many recreational activities to enjoy within our stunning marine environment, from free-diving to snorkelling, paddle boarding to wildlife exploring. Discover the Jersey Snorkel Trails, logging what you find on your snorkel to help monitor biodiversity in Portelet and Bouley Bay.  Or follow in the strokes of the inspiring local open water swimmer, Sally Minty-Gravett, by taking up sea swimming throughout the year, an invigorating activity with many health benefits. Have you completed the 30 bays in 30 days challenge? 
Learn more: Make sure to read this guide to enjoy our coast safely!
Video credit: Matt Jarvis / Freddie Watson

Invertebrates

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Nudibranch

Other common name(s): Anemone sea slug
Species: Berghia coerulescens
Location: La Pulente
Depth: 0m
Fact: Nudibranchs, commonly known as sea slugs, have an array of vibrant colours and patterns, which some of them use as masters of self-defense by either camouflaging or to warn predators to keep away. This particular species has only been observed in Jersey’s sea since 2022, where it was first spotted at Les Ecréhous. Look out for other nudibranchs in an array of vibrant colours and patterns, like the Violet nudibranch or Yellow-edged polycera!
Video credit: Grace Bailey
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Snakelocks anemone

Species: Anemonia viridis
Location: Portelet Bay
Depth: 3-6m
Temp °C: 12.5
Fact: A frequent inhabitant of rockpools, this anemone can be either grey/pink or green/grey with purple tips. Unlike other anemones, the Snakelocks can’t retract its tentacles into its body, of which it has up to 200 that are used to feed. Did you know, one of the trails of Snorkel Portelet is named after this anemone species!
Video credit: Matt Jarvis
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Devonshire cup coral

Species: Caryophyllia smithii
Location: Bouley Bay / St Catherine’s Bay
Depth: 8m
Fact: Often mistaken for an anemone, this species is the most common hard coral found in British waters. Unlike those found in tropical sea, it is not a reef-building coral. Instead, these hard corals live on their own, rarely in clusters of two to four. These colourful anemone-like corals can grow up to 2.5cm wide with transulucent tentacles.
Video credit: Adam West / Chris Isaacs
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Common cuttlefish

Species: Sepia officinalis
Location: Bouley Bay / Minquiers / South Coast / St Catherine’s Bay
Depth: 8-18m
Temp °C: 15.0
Fact: Cuttlefish, a mollusc closely related to squid and octopus, are a fierce predator with an incredible ability to quickly change between billions of patterns or colour to camouflage into their surroundings, attract a mate or distract predators. Their eggs are black from their ink and resemble small grapes, which can be laid in habitats like seagrass and hatch into babies like those in this video. Cuttlebone, their chalky shell inside them, gives the cuttlefish buoyancy, where they can move gas in and out of this inner shell to help them float up and down. Have you found a cuttlebone on the beach before?
Video credit: Adam West / Sam Blampied / Grace Bailey / Justyna Koziatek / Chris Isaacs
Other features species: Black bream / Small-spotted catshark / Spider crab
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Spider crab

Other common name(s): European spider crab/ Spiny spider crab
Species: Maja brachydactyla
Location: Corbiere
Depth: 8m
Temp °C: 12.5
Fact: In recent years, Jersey has seen many more spider crabs in our waters as a result of rising sea temperatures due to climate change. This crab will feed on anything they can get their claws on, from seaweed and mussels to starfish. They are a great crab to fish and eat, particular as there are currently so many of them, making a good alternative to chancre (brown) crab, which is a winter season catch. This species is much smaller than the Japanese spider crab, which is the largest crab in the world reaching a leg span of 4m!
Video credit: Matt Jarvis

Sharks & rays

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Small-spotted catshark

Other common name(s): Lesser-spotted dogfish / Rough hound / Rock salmon
Scientific name: Scyliorhinus canicula
Location: Anne Port / Petit Portelet
Depth: 5-10m
Fact: Being the smaller of the two catsharks we have in Jersey, the Small-spotted catshark grows up to 1m long and feed on crabs, molluscs and small fish. Its eggcase (known as a mermaid’s purse) is 5-6cm long, yellow/brown in colour and has curly tendrils on either end to help it attach securely in place while the embryo grows, such as to Pink sea fans. Explore the differences between catshark and ray eggcases with the Shark Trust’s identification guide. Remember, catsharks are harmless to humans and will be far more scared of you than you are of them!
Video credit: Matt Jarvis / Emily Dow / Sam Blampied / Grace Bailey
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Greater-spotted catshark

Other common name(s): Greater-spotted dogfish / Nursehound / Bull huss / Rough hound shark / Rock salmon
Scientific name: Scyliorhinus stellaris
Location: Les Minquiers
Temp °C: 17.5
Depth: Greater spotted carsharks, the larger of the two, grow up to 1.6m long and lay eggcases that are 8-10cm and darker brown. Living up to 20 years old, they have a similar diet to the Small-spotted catsharks but also feed on squid and octopus, and even other sharks. In this video, look out for the Small-spotted catshark next to a Greater-spotted catshark so you can see the difference between the two species. The little cage you can see is baited with fish, which along with the camera make up a monitoring system called BRUV (baited remote underwater video). This is to help monitor biodiversity in Jersey by attracting marine animals to feed!
Video credit: Sam Blampied
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Small-eyed ray

Other common name(s): Small-eyed skate
Scientific name: Raja microocellata
Location: Bouley Bay
Depth: 8m
Fact: Small-eyed rays are similar in shape to other rays (also known as skates), such as Thornback, Undulate and Blonde rays. Often found hiding in the sandy seabeds, rays can be found in abundance in Jersey, particularly at Bouley Bay, so keep an eye out for their eyes and diamond-shaped outline in the sand. Like catsharks, rays lay eggcases, except they are squarer with four pointy horns instead of the curly tendrils of catshark eggcases. Have you spotted a ray’s eggcase on the beach? After exploring the identification guide, log your findings here to help monitor ray and shark populations in Jersey.
Video credit: Freddie Watson / Adam West / Matt Jarvis
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Common stingray

Scientific name: Dasyatis pastinaca
Other featured species: Black bream / Small-spotted catshark / Spider crab
Location: Les Minquiers and South Coast
Depth: 20m
Temp °C: 18.0
Fact: Usually found between 20-35m, this species is the only stingray found in British seas. Growing up to 2.5m long, their tails have a barbed spine that can be up to 35cm long, which they will use in defense if attacked. Like sharks, rays are actually fish, with no bones in their bodies, instead having cartilage to support them. Unlike other rays and catsharks, Common stingrays (and all other sting rays) don’t lay eggcases; instead, the mothers give birth to around 4-7 live babies.
Video credit: Sam Blampied / Grace Bailey
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Marbled electric ray

Scientific name: Torpedo marmorata
Location: Bouley Bay
Depth: 8m
Temp: Growing up to 80cm long, these electric rays are usually found between 10-100m on sandy or muddy seabeds, often buried in the daytime and coming out to hunt at night. Unlike other rays in Jersey, they have much rounder bodies, making them easier to identify. Similar to sting rays, electric rays give birth to live young, with this species able to have between 5-32 young. Incredibly, they can generate electricity through muscular contractions, which they use for both defense and to hunt prey. If large enough, an electric ray can give a shock of up to 220v!
Video credit: Adam West

Habitats

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Maerl

Scientific name: This species of maerl is hard to visually identify but it is likely to be Lithothamnion or Phymatolithon.
Other featured species: Netted dog whelk / Small-spotted catshark
Location: Violet Banks
Depth: 15m
Temp °C: 19.0
Fact: Maerl is a red algae that forms hard coral-like nodules with a calcium carbonate skeleton. Together, they form reef-like habitats housing incredibly high levels of biodiversity, with 173 species being found in 1m2 of some Jersey maerl beds! These beds are important feeding, spawning and nursery grounds for many marine species, including important commercial fish such as scallops and crab. They are incredibly slow growing at around only half a mm each year- that’s 20 years to get to 1cm! Due to this, if maerl is damaged it can take a very long time to recover.
Video credit: Andrew Woods
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Kelp

Other common name(s): Forest kelp
Scientific name: Laminaria hyperborea
Location: Portelet Bay
Depth: 6m
Temp °C: 12.5
Fact: In Jersey, we have large areas of magnificent kelp forests, which can grow up to 5m high! These underwater forests are incredibly important for marine biodiversity, particularly as grounds for feeding and shelter. Many sea animals can also live on the kelp’s blades and around their root-like holdfasts too, such as starfish and sponges.
Video credit: Matt Jarvis
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Seagrass

Other common name(s): Common eelgrass
Scientific name: Zostera marina
Location: Anne Port / South-east coast
Depth: 8m
Temp °C: 19.0
Fact: Seagrass meadows create important sheltered habitats for many marine creatures, including seahorses and young fish. Species such as cuttlefish like to lay their eggs attached to the seagrass blades too. It is also 12x better than rainforests at capturing and storing carbon! You can find luscious seagrass meadows in Jersey, such as at St Catherine’s bay and Archirondel.
Video credit: Matt Jarvis / Sam Blampied
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Seaweed

Common names: Bladder wrack / Serrated wrack / Irish moss
Location: Portelet Bay
Depth: 2-6m
Temp °C: 12.5
Fact: In shallow areas, where sunlight is bright and plentiful, a diversity of seaweeds can photosynthesise and grow. This provides shelter and food for many marine creatures, including periwinkles and tiny fish. Bladder wrack has also been used by humans as an anti-aging cream!
Video credit: Matt Jarvis
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Rocky reefs

Featured species: Pink sea fan / Spiny lobster and Elephant hide sponge / Conger eel and Leopard-spotted goby / Jewel anemones / Cuckoo wrasse (females)
Location: Les Sauvages reef (SE of Les Minquiers)
Depth: 20m
Temp °C: 18.5
Fact: We may not have coral reefs, but we have bustling and biodiverse reefs of our own, called rocky reefs. This particular reef, Les Sauvages, was discovered by divers to have incredibly high levels of biodiversity, such as this Pink sea fan; a coral that grows 1cm a year, meaning this one could be 50 years old! They are also a favourite place for catsharks to attach their eggcases.
Video Credit: Luke Helmer
Fish
Marine Mammals & Seabirds
Above The Waves
Invertebrates
Sharks & rays
Habitats

Visit the Science Centre to learn more…

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ENTER THE
SCIENCE CENTRE

This Science Centre is aimed at ages 11-14, but anyone can enjoy discovering these topics. The deep-dive discovery packs below will introduce you to a range of exciting marine topics, including snorkelling, fishing and protecting Jersey’s sea. Have you got what it takes to be an ocean explorer?

Follow the steps below to explore the Science Centre!

 

ARE YOU A TEACHER?

If so, we would greatly appreciate your feedback by completing the short survey below to ensure these resources are as useful as possible:

Complete teacher survey

01

Select one of the deep-dive discovery packs below

02

Read the fact file and watch the video

03

Record your findings on the questions sheet

Help!

On an iPad or mobile? Click below for guidance

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DISCOVERY PACK CATEGORIES
EVERYTHING
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everything Jersey’s waters Low-impact fishing Recreation

JERSEY SNORKEL TRAILS

Explore beneath the waves of Jersey’s snorkel trails.

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Recreation

PROTECTING JERSEY’S SEA

Dive into the marine protection of Jersey’s sea.

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Jersey’s waters

JERSEY HAND DIVED

Learn about low-impact fishing and the life of a scallop diver.

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Low-impact fishing

JERSEY SNORKEL TRAILS

DOWNLOAD FACTFILE DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS OPEN VIDEO I’m finished Recreation
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In this deep-dive discovery pack, you will learn about:

  1. Snorkel Portelet and Snorkel Bouley- the two snorkel trails in Jersey.
  2. Safe snorkelling practices.
  3. Jersey’s marine life.
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PROTECTING JERSEY’S SEA

DOWNLOAD FACTFILE DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS OPEN VIDEO I’m finished Jersey’s waters
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In this deep-dive discovery pack, you will learn about: 

  1. Marine protected areas (MPAs)  
  2. The Government of Jersey’s ‘Marine Spatial Plan’
  3. Actions to help our sea

 

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JERSEY HAND DIVED

DOWNLOAD FACTFILE DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS OPEN VIDEO I’m finished Low-impact fishing
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In this deep-dive discovery pack, you will learn about: 

  1. Hand-dived scallops
  2. Low-impact fishing
  3. The life of a scallop diver
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Educator resources

Facilitation Guide for Teachers and Parents

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Supporting Slides

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Find out more about Blue Marine’s Jersey Project

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BLUE MARINE’S JERSEY PROJECT

Jersey’s sea, making up 95% of the whole of Jersey’s territory, is home to some of the richest coastal waters in Europe. Habitats range from kelp forests, seagrass and maerl beds to rocky reefs and sand beds, which provide homes for breathtaking marine life such as dazzling anemones and majestic rays. Together, these habitats can support a healthy, functioning ecosystem, benefiting the Island’s historic fishery, combating climate change, protecting our coastline, and providing recreation and wellbeing experiences.  

Jersey’s sea also has important sites of cultural, archaeological and historical significance, such as shipwrecks, picturesque harbours and coastal fortifications. The Island’s enormous 12-metre tides result in a huge area of 30 square kilometres being exposed at every spring low tide. This area holds some of the most diverse clam beds in Northern Europe, and the rocky intertidal zone, along with the outlying reefs, harbour flooded gully and waterfall habitats known nowhere else in the region.     

This Ocean Observatory aims to complement Blue Marine’s work in Jersey by encouraging curiosity, increasing knowledge and inspiring the next generation to care for our oceans. 

Visit our website for more information.

ABOUT BLUE MARINE

Blue Marine Foundation is a UK based charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health by addressing overfishing, one of the world’s biggest environmental problems. We are committed to creating marine reserves, restoring vital habitats and establishing models of sustainable fishing. Our mission is to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 and ensure that the remainder is effectively managed.

Visit our website for more information.

 

FINISHED EXPLORING BENEATH JERSEY’S WAVES?

Click the button below to discover the underwater water world of Berwickshire in Scotland.

How does this Ocean Observatory compare to Jersey’s?

Visit the BERWICKSHIRE OCEAN OBSERVATORY

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GET IN TOUCH WITH US

education@bluemarinefoundation.com