Wildlife Guide

Southend’s coastline is more than a place for beach days, sea views and seaside fun. It's also a living landscape, home to protected habitats, coastal wildlife, mudflats, saltmarsh, rockpools, seabirds and marine life.

The Southend Foreshore Nature Reserve stretches for more than eight miles along the coastline, from Leigh-on-Sea towards Shoeburyness, creating an important habitat for resident and migratory wildlife. Depending on the time of year and the tides, you may spot seabirds, wading birds, fish, crabs, shellfish and even seals around the estuary.

The mudflats and saltmarsh areas are especially important feeding grounds for birds, particularly during migration and winter months. These spaces may look empty at first glance, but they are rich habitats supporting a wide range of wildlife.

Look out for:

• Seals resting on mudflats or swimming offshore

• Brent geese during the winter months

• Oystercatchers feeding along the shoreline

• Turnstones searching among seaweed and stones

• Gulls, terns and other seabirds along the coast

• Crabs, anemones, shellfish and small fish in rockpools

Wildlife is best enjoyed from a distance. If an animal changes its behaviour because of you, you're too close!

Please follow these simple rules:

• Keep a safe distance from all wildlife

• Never chase, touch, feed or surround wild animals or birds

• Keep dogs away from resting birds and seals

• Never attempt to return an injured or stranded animal to the water yourself

• If you are concerned about a seal, injured bird or marine animal, report it to an appropriate wildlife rescue organisation or call for advice. In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard

  
  

Seal Watching

Seeing a seal is always special, but seals need space. Seals may haul out onto mudflats, beaches or structures to rest. This is normal behaviour and does not always mean they are in trouble. Getting too close can frighten them, cause stress or force them back into the water before they are ready.

If you see a seal:

• Stay well back

• Keep dogs on a lead

• Do not try to feed it

• Do not block its route back to the water

• Keep noise to a minimum

• Watch quietly and enjoy the moment from a safe distance

• A relaxed seal may lie still, raise its head occasionally or appear sleepy. A disturbed seal may look alert, move away, bark, shuffle towards the water or show signs of stress.

• Give wildlife room to behave naturally

Rockpool Code

Rockpooling is a brilliant way to discover Southend’s smaller coastal creatures, but rockpools are delicate habitats. Every stone, shell and patch of seaweed can be home to living things.

Please explore gently and follow the Rockpool Code:

• Look closely, but handle carefully

• Wet your hands before touching marine life

• Keep creatures in seawater and out of direct sunlight

• Only keep animals in a bucket for a short time

• Return everything to where you found it

• Do not pull seaweed from rocks

• Do not remove shells, plants or animals from the shore

• Watch where you step

• Leave the rockpool as you found it

• If you lift a stone, remember it could be someone’s home, so always replace it carefully and the same way up

Rockpooling is about discovery, not collecting. Take photos, make memories and leave the wildlife where it belongs.

Respect Protected Spaces

Parts of Southend’s coastline are protected because of their importance for wildlife, habitats and the wider Thames Estuary environment.

Please follow all local signs, fencing and guidance when visiting the foreshore. Some areas may be restricted for safety, conservation or operational reasons.

Please do not:

• Enter closed or restricted areas

• Walk across sensitive mudflats or saltmarsh

• Disturb nesting, feeding or resting birds

• Remove natural materials from protected habitats

• Ignore warning signs, tide information or safety advice

Southend’s coastline is beautiful, but it is also tidal and fast-changing. Always check tide times before exploring the foreshore and avoid walking too far out.

Enjoy It. Respect It. Protect It.

Leave No Trace

Southend’s beaches are here for everyone; residents, visitors, families, swimmers, walkers, wildlife-watchers and future generations. Whether you’re visiting for a picnic, a swim, a walk, or a full day by the sea, please take care of your rubbish and help protect the local environment.

Litter left on the beach can harm wildlife, pollute the estuary and spoil the coastline for other visitors. Even small items, such as bottle tops, wet wipes, fishing line and cigarette ends, can cause serious problems for birds and marine life.

So please remember to:

1. Dispose of rubbish responsibly using the bins provided

2. Take your litter home if bins are full

3. Avoid single-use plastics where possible

4. Bring reusable bottles, cups and containers

5. Never leave food waste on the beach

6. Take only photos, leave only footprints.

By taking your rubbish home, keeping wildlife wild and exploring carefully, you help protect one of Southend’s most important natural spaces. Enjoy the coast, respect the environment and help keep Southend’s shoreline special.