Many people probably take for granted a clean and naturally-thriving coastline but I am far more familiar with a crowded, over-used and trash-littered shoreline. So a recent trip to south-west Ireland was a joy. Clean air, clean seas and a coast of vibrant natural colours.
The seaweeds were wonderful. A tide-line of such colour! Greens, pinks, yellows, olives, ochres and blacks tangled amongst the grey pebbles.
And the shapes and textures were so different from land plants, with thick leathery straps seductively curled amongst frills and strands of diversity. This was just the seaweed stranded on the beaches and low-tide rocks. I guess to see them at their finest would mean going under water.
Most of these seaweeds are edible. It's an under-used resource in my culture. I don't think I ever ate seaweed until I tried Japanese food well into adulthood. In many places I would be wary of collecting it to eat due to questionable water quality but in Kerry I doubt that's a problem.
Seaweed is also used as a soil fertiliser and here there were great piles ready to be collected, although, as a precaution against over-exploitation I understand that a licence is needed to harvest it in Ireland.
For me on this trip, it was just about enjoying being amongst it and I wish I had spent more time photographing it all. Endless possibilities.
The lichens added their own crusty personality to give the larger rocks a generous dusting of colour and texture.
Rich seaweed diversity suggests clean seas, but rich coastal lichens suggests clean seas and clean air.
There were also plenty of flowers and other plants to look at but in my blinkered vision they looked ordinary compared to the novel worlds of seaweeds and lichen.
Thank you, Kerry, you were lush and I will be back!
