The sea around our Islands is packed with an array of coastal life with many species of flora and fauna decorating our coastlines, rockpools and beaches.
One species we tend to overlook is seaweed, often ignored due to its dark colouration and strong smell. However, different species of seaweed hold a number of beneficial properties for us. High in protein and saturated in vitamins, seaweed can help with blood pressure control and assist healthy brain activity. No wonder it has been an integral part of diets and lifestyles across the world for centuries, including in Guernsey!
A seaweed tour on our Islands can teach you so much about this fascinating species.
Who runs the Guernsey Seaweed Tours?
Tours of our Island’s seaweed are organised by Guernsey Seaweed and run by a range of experienced guides. Each guide has a wealth of knowledge to share and their own personal connection to the landscape.
Guernsey Seaweed and the Seaweed Food Company were established back in 2020. The company has utilised seaweed as a special and beneficial part of food and skin products. Popular products include seaweed flakes, salt, serum, lip balm, shower gel and shampoo. Since launching the company has sold over 20,000 tins of seaweed products!
What is a Seaweed Tour?
The company offers everyone the opportunity to join seaweed foraging tours throughout the year, where you can learn more about the intriguing history of seaweed in Guernsey, general everyday use and its role in farming, cooking, cosmetics and even fashion. Seaweed foraging tours are an exciting and educational hands-on experience for those of you who really want to get involved - you’ll even have the chance to eat fresh seaweed straight from the beach. Tours take place at Port Soif Bay along the west coast of Guernsey and are also a great chance to explore more of the island while learning along the way.
What makes Seaweed special?
Guernsey has over 700 types of seaweed, which are all free for anyone to take if they wish. You’ll often hear it referred to as ‘vraic’ which is the Guernesiais word for the plant. While there are native species of seaweed on the island there are also invasive species and the selection of seaweeds differs on the east and west coasts.
All species of seaweed are edible but some are definitely more favourable than others and make very lovely salads, a few varieties of seaweed even have bioluminescence. You might think you have never tried seaweed before, but it is often used as a thickening agent found in toothpaste and ice cream!
You’ll learn lots about the seaweed along the coast, as well as some other information about the creatures, plants and history of the coast. Some things we learned on our own tour:
- Pepper dulse, known as the truffle of the sea, is adored by chefs but very difficult to find.
- Kelp is a large species of seaweed, which is long lasting and grows in significant numbers like an ocean forest, it helps make incredible beef stews and can be used as a makeshift oven.
- Impressively, ormers - a special local sea mollusc akin to an oyster - can move at six meters a minute. You can find them as a local delicacy often fried in Guernsey butter and featured in a casserole.
- Guernsey even had the world’s first underwater arrest due to someone scuba diving for ormers at the wrong tide - as strict rules protect the harvesting of ormers.
- The slipways located at many Guernsey beaches were not made for boats but for horses and carts to go and collect seaweed. A practice which occurred for hundreds of years
- During the Occupation Irish moss was very popular due to its abundance however it was difficult to acquire as beaches were mined and covered with barbed wire. Islanders became incredibly inventive with seaweed during this time, and even used it to make hair cream!
- Seaweed was used to fertilise land due to its richness in a variety of properties and for a time you could only collect seaweed in the Parish you came from. St Andrews, Guernsey’s only landlocked parish, was allowed to take the seaweed from Lihou Island.
We hope this gives you an exciting peek into the world of seaweed.
If you are interested in learning even more about marine algae, get yourself booked onto the next seaweed foraging tour down at Port Soif!
Tours are run at very specific spring tides, so make sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
