 An underwater nature trail has opened for the summer at Kimmeridge Bay. Suitable for confident snorkellers, the Snorkel Trail is marked by numbered buoys, starting just east of the pillbox on Kimmeridge beach. New trail guides, sponsored by Simply Snorkel, help to identify some the wildlife that can be seen. All you need is a good mask, snorkel, fins and wetsuit or buoyancy aid. The trail guides are available for a nominal charge from the Marine Centre, where you can also hire snorkelling equipment.
Dorset Wildlife Trust marine warden Julie Hatcher said: "This trail gives you the chance of first hand encounters with some of our marine life. We want people to realise that they don't need to go abroad to find safe, colourful snorkelling - there's lots to see right here."
For visitors who don't want to get wet, the Marine Centre also has an underwater camera, which can be operated by a joystick to tilt, zoom and turn around 360 degrees. Julie Hatcher explained: "We have placed it beside a ledge in what amounts to a superhighway for marine creatures coming in and out." The underwater camera is only available in good weather.
The Marine Centre is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm and the snorkel trail is in place until September. For more information, or to help with protecting Dorset's marine life, ring 01929 481044.
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