The waters around Lundy Island are abundant in marine wildlife. Warm southern currents meet cooler northern waters; this provides ideal conditions for a diverse and thriving marine environment. A multitude of different marine habitats exist within a small area and attracts a wealth of marine creatures to take advantage of every available space. Bedrock reefs extend to well over 1km offshore from the west coast and unusually deep water, 30 to 40 metres deep, is found relatively close to the island. Steeply sloping, vertical and overhanging underwater cliffs are present here, typically covered by dense growths of delicate marine invertebrates. To add to this, around 300 species of seaweed colonise the shores and reefs around the island, limited to growing in shallower waters due to light availability.
The Marine Conservation Zone and No Take Zone at Lundy provide a refuge by protecting Lundy’s special marine habitats from damaging use and allowing the marine wildlife here to flourish. The outcome is a healthy and wildlife-rich marine environment that all of us can appreciate and enjoy – and an environment that is as near to its natural state as we can possibly achieve.