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Stories - Britain's Underwater Treasures (33) More files...
Why take a long-haul flight when you can get up close and personal to amazing underwater life at home? From the Shetlands to the Channel Islands, UK waters hold an astounding array of marine wildlife, with an impressive variety of diving schools to boot. With more and more people choosing to holiday closer to home, and global sea temperatures rising, now is the time to discover the oceans that surround our little island. This colourful, picture-led article features sharks, jellyfish, corals and more.

For full text or more information, please contact laurasutherland@naturepl.com
Basking shark feeding off the Cornish coastline. Cornwall, UK.
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Dan Burton / Basking shark feeding off the Cornish coastline. Cornwall, UK.
Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} tentacles open, underwater, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} tentacles open, underwater, Channel Islands, UK
Diver with Warty / Pink sea fan coral {Eunicella verrucosa} Channel Islands, UK. Model Released.
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Sue Daly / Diver with Warty / Pink sea fan coral {Eunicella verrucosa} Channel Islands, UK. Model Released.
Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} purple form, tentacles in various stages of opening, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} purple form, tentacles in various stages of opening, Channel Islands, UK
Spiny lobster {Palinurus vulgaris} Sark, Channel Is, UK.
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Sue Daly / Spiny lobster {Palinurus vulgaris} Sark, Channel Is, UK.
Beadlet anemones {Actinia equina} various colour forms on rock, Gouliot Caves, Alderney, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Beadlet anemones {Actinia equina} various colour forms on rock, Gouliot Caves, Alderney, Channel Islands, UK
Plaice {Pleuronectes platessa} close-up of face, UK
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Alan James / Plaice {Pleuronectes platessa} close-up of face, UK
European / Common lobster (Homarus gammarus) with large barnacle encrusted claws, underwater, Mull, Scotland
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Solvin Zankl / European / Common lobster (Homarus gammarus) with large barnacle encrusted claws, underwater, Mull, Scotland
Male Cuckoo Wrasse (Labrus mixtus), Sark, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Male Cuckoo Wrasse (Labrus mixtus), Sark, Channel Islands, UK
Orca / Killer whale {Orcinus orca} blowing at surface, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK
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Juan Carlos Munoz / Orca / Killer whale {Orcinus orca} blowing at surface, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK
Painted topshell {Calliostoma zizyphinum} amongst Jewel anemones, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Painted topshell {Calliostoma zizyphinum} amongst Jewel anemones, Channel Islands, UK
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) viewed from above, Cardigan Bay, Wales, UK May
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Graham Eaton / Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) viewed from above, Cardigan Bay, Wales, UK May
Beadlet anemone {Actinia equina} with tentacles partially extended, underwater, Gouliot Caves, Alderney, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Beadlet anemone {Actinia equina} with tentacles partially extended, underwater, Gouliot Caves, Alderney, Channel Islands, UK
Nudibranch {Polycera faeroensis} on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Nudibranch {Polycera faeroensis} on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} polyps with tentacles open, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} polyps with tentacles open, Channel Islands, UK
Red fingers soft coral {Alcyonium glomeratum} polyps open, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Red fingers soft coral {Alcyonium glomeratum} polyps open, Channel Islands, UK
Sunset cup / Yellow cave coral {Leptopsammia pruvoti} polyps open, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Sunset cup / Yellow cave coral {Leptopsammia pruvoti} polyps open, Channel Islands, UK
Tompot Blenny (Parablennius / Blennius gattorugine) in a pipe, Lleyn, Wales, UK, May
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Graham Eaton / Tompot Blenny (Parablennius / Blennius gattorugine) in a pipe, Lleyn, Wales, UK, May
European Lobster (Homarus gammarus) close up, Jersey, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / European Lobster (Homarus gammarus) close up, Jersey, Channel Islands, UK
Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} purple form, tentacles open, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Jewel anemone {Corynactis viridis} purple form, tentacles open, Channel Islands, UK
Seafan nudibranch {Tritonia nilsodhneri} and eggs camouflaged on Warty coral {Eunicella verrucosa} underwater, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Seafan nudibranch {Tritonia nilsodhneri} and eggs camouflaged on Warty coral {Eunicella verrucosa} underwater, Channel Islands, UK
Black-faced blenny {Tripterygion delaisi} female on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Black-faced blenny {Tripterygion delaisi} female on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
Common sea urchin {Echinus esculentus} on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Common sea urchin {Echinus esculentus} on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
Two Bottlenose dolphins {Tursiops truncatus} leaping, Moray Firth, Scotland, UK
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Paul Hobson / Two Bottlenose dolphins {Tursiops truncatus} leaping, Moray Firth, Scotland, UK
Nudibranch {Polycera faeroensis} pair mating, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Nudibranch {Polycera faeroensis} pair mating, Channel Islands, UK
Bloody Henry starfish (Henricia oculata), Cardigan Bay, Wales, May
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Graham Eaton / Bloody Henry starfish (Henricia oculata), Cardigan Bay, Wales, May
Ballan wrasse {Labrus bergylta} in ship wreck colonised by seaweeds UK
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Alan James / Ballan wrasse {Labrus bergylta} in ship wreck colonised by seaweeds UK
Yellow cluster anemone {Parazoanthus axinellae} polyps open, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Yellow cluster anemone {Parazoanthus axinellae} polyps open, Channel Islands, UK
European lobster {Homarus gammarus} Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / European lobster {Homarus gammarus} Channel Islands, UK
Spiny spider crab {Maja squinado} close up of mouthparts, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Spiny spider crab {Maja squinado} close up of mouthparts, Channel Islands, UK
Common cuttlefish {Sepia officinalis} feeding on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Common cuttlefish {Sepia officinalis} feeding on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
Warty / Pink sea fan coral {Eunicella verrucosa} on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
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Sue Daly / Warty / Pink sea fan coral {Eunicella verrucosa} on seabed, Channel Islands, UK
Common prawn {Palaemon serratus} Jersey, Channel Is, UK rock pool
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Sue Daly / Common prawn {Palaemon serratus} Jersey, Channel Is, UK rock pool