LOCAL INFORMATION

It is difficult to think of an area with so many advantages for the wildlife that inhabits its interior, coastline and surrounding seas. A warm damp climate, remoteness from areas of high population or industrial pollution and very little intensive agriculture underpin favourable habitats for wildlife. These habitats range from ancient pasture, small areas of wooded swampland, high heath and moor-land, cliffs and rocky offshore islands. The surrounding waters have a direct gulf-stream influence, with strong tidal streams bringing nutrients to the prolific undersea life. The rich seas support a thriving population of marine mammals and dense colonies of breeding seabirds that inhabit the cliffs and offshore islands in the spring and summer months.

The waters surrounding the Llyn Peninsula are home to a large population of sea mammals that thrive on the rich undersea life. In the summer, the warm currents bring dense shoals of Sand eels that form the staple diet for larger fish, such as the Mackerel, and the seabirds and the marine mammals of the area. In turn, the Mackerel falls prey to the larger marine mammals such as the Bottle-Nosed Dolphins.

Sea Life (seals and dolphins)

St tudwals islands

Sea Life (seals & dolphins)

The area is an important refuge for Grey Seals. They are larger and far more robust than their relatives, the Common Seal, an inhabitant of the eastern coasts of the United Kingdom. Large breeding colonies are located at both the St. Tudwal's archipelago and Bardsey Island, with smaller, isolated groups living along the northern coast, such as small number found near Porth Dinllaen.

The Harbour Porpoise is regularly seen some way offshore, but usually only singly or in very small numbers. Usually seen off Porth Ceiriad and on the way to Bardsey Island, a few miles out from Hell's Mouth. The Harbour Porpoise unfortunately seems to be under some form of environmental pressure and is thought to be in decline worldwide.

More regular encounters are with Bottle-nosed Dolphins, although very occasionally seen are the Common and Risso's Dolphins to the west of Bardsey Island and in Bardsey Sound. Pods of Bottle-nosed Dolphins are often encountered on trips out of Abersoch bay.


ST. TUDWALS ISLANDS

St Tudwal's Islands are a small archipelago of two islands lying south of Abersoch St Tudwal's Island West and St Tudwal's Island East plus the Carreg y Trai rocks or half tide rocks as they are also called.

On St Tudwals East are the remains of a monastic settlement and Priory. which was excavated at the start of the 20th Century and shards of roman pottery were found. According to tradition, Saint Tudwal lived on the islands in the 6th century. It is said that it was once possible to walk from Ynys Fach (the smaller of the two, and the nearest to the shore) to Trwyn yr Wylfa on the mainland at a time of very low tide.

A Trinity House lighthouse was erected on St Tudwals West in 1877. The site of the lighthouse was purchased by Trinity House in 1876 for the sum of £111, and the construction of the tower and dwellings completed the following year. Father Henry Bailey' Maria Hughes and his followers attempted to re-establish a monastic society, but their monastery was destroyed in 1887 by an enormous storm.

In 1922 the light in the lighthouse was converted to acetylene operation and was operated by means of a sun valve. This mechanism, which was invented by the Swedish lighthouse engineer, Gustaf Dalen, consists of an arrangement of reflective gold-plated copper bars supporting a suspended black rod; when lit by the sun the black rod absorbs the direct heat and that reflected from the other bars and expands downwards thereby cutting off the supply of gas.

Following the introduction of the acetylene equipment the lighthouse was demanned and the keepers dwellings next to the tower subsequently sold in 1935.

St Tudwal's Lighthouse was modernised and converted to solar powered operation in 1995