Underwater photographer Heather Hamilton was lucky a second time, sharing footage on social media of her swimming through a rare salp bloom off the southwest coast of England.
On her Instagram page, Hamilton wrote:
“Feel so lucky to have seen this bloom for a second year in a row. The early morning light meant that the salps glistened, looking like fairy light.”
Spotting a Salp anywhere near Cornwall is a very rare experience, according to Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Conservation Officer Matt Slater:
“It’s difficult to say what’s causing this population boom in our local waters. Various factors could be the cause, including wind direction and ocean currents, alongside environmental factors such as temperature or numbers of predators. It’s very exciting to see some of the numbers being reported and images that people are recording of them being sent in from all around the Cornish coast.
“We are keen to record as much information about this unusual spectacle as possible so please, if you do encounter this exciting phenomenon, make sure you report the sighting via our Orks website.”
