Incredible scenes unfolded on a Welsh beach as vast schools of tiny fish were driven ashore. Huge numbers of seagulls gathered above Criccieth beach in Gwynedd as tiny fish started leaping from the sea. The fish were chased to the shoreline by hungry mackerel, turning the beach silvery white. Under the shadow of the 13th-century Criccieth Castle, herring gulls flocked to the feast in large numbers, many diving into the sea to help themselves. Locals described the spectacle as “incredible”.
Passengers on the Cambrian Coast Railway witnessed the feeding frenzy. A woman from Manchester said on social media: “It’s like the Birds film.”
Mass strandings of whitebait young sprats similar to sardines happened annually on the west Wales coast. However, the ones seen in Criccieth recently have been considerably larger than those in the past few years, reports North Wales Live. A man nearby captured a video of whitebait jumping from the water onto the resort’s stone jetty.
When photos were shared online, people pledged to bring buckets and start collecting fish from the beach. Anglers also hurried to the area hoping to catch the mackerel or bass that had driven the whitebait to the water’s edge. The presence of these larger fish often attracts dolphins as the entire food chain takes advantage.
Cricieth Creadigol – Creative Criccieth, a local Welsh arts community, shared eye-catching images of the whitebait strandings that occurred on Sunday (September 29) on Criccieth Beach. The group was in awe, commenting: “Incredible scene on Criccieth beach tonight- thousands of gulls feasting on whitebait.”
This extraordinary event comes after Pwllheli beach and Hafan y Mor holiday camp witnessed similar occurrences last week. Additionally, masses of whitebait have been washing up on the shores of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, with more sightings at Dinas Dinlle near Caernarfon.
The spectacle left Criccieth locals astonished. Reflecting on the incident, a lady expressed her amazement online, stating: “In all the years of being at my Nan’s house when a child, I have never seen that happen. If it had, Nan would have probably sent me down with a bucket to collect the fish and she would have cooked it for our tea.”
Frying whitebait and serving it with a squeeze of lemon and tartare sauce is steeped in tradition. Ynys Gored Goch in the Menai Strait earned its nickname “Whitebait Island” by serving these delicacies to visitors on passing boats. Dylan’s restaurant, which boasts a branch in Criccieth, includes this crispy delight in its seasonal fare. Whitebait strandings tend to peak between July and September, coinciding with warmer seas and increased food availability.
In their desperate attempts to evade predators, whitebait often form dense shoals known as bait balls, which can lead to mass beachings when the tide recedes. One of the most significant recent strandings happened in October 2020, with several tonnes of sprats found along Benar Beach near Barmouth in Gwynedd.
Last year, Pwllheli beach witnessed large numbers of whitebait stranded on the shore, drawing crowds of locals eager to collect them, while over in Abersoch, paddleboarders experienced a shower of fish leaping from the water. Reports have surfaced of children attempting to return beached whitebait to the ocean.
Natural Resources Wales has previously commented on the occurrences, advising the public not to be alarmed by these events, describing them as “only nature at work”.