Manx Wildlife Trust’s Marine Life mega Tanks are coming to the Port Erin Beach and Sea Festival for the weekend of 22 and 23 July. Containing 1000’s of litres of sea water, with  the equivalent of  6000 litres of fresh seawater per hour being pumped through them, the tanks will be a temporary home for an amazing diversity of marine life, including dogfish, sea hares, sea slugs, lobsters, sea urchins, many different kinds of starfish and crabs and more.
 
Discover Diving, a Port St Mary based company, is donating its time and expertise and, together with Seasearch divers, have “borrowed” these creatures so that people can get a close up look at marine life normally only visible to those who are experienced divers.   Great care is being taken to ensure that the animals stay healthy, before being safely returned to the sea after the event.
 
87% of Manx territory is covered by sea and it is one of the key areas of work for Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT).  It has therefore worked closely with the organisers of the Port Erin Beach Festival to provide a Sea Festival area in front of the old marine laboratory, with lots of activities for the family and the chance to find out more about the Island’s Marine Protected Areas and fisheries.  MWT’s wildlife gift shop, a chance to win a unique silk painting and chat to other organisations with an interest in the Island’s marine environment, plus the Marine Life mega Tanks, completes the Sea Festival line up. Admission costs ?2 adults, ?1 children with a maximum fee of ?5 per family and it opens at 10am.

Photo - young visitors holding sea urchins.