Gouliot Caves and Headland, Sark

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Gouliot Caves and Headland, Sark

  • Country: 
    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Crown dependencies)
  • Site number: 
    2276
  • Area: 
    4 ha
  • Designation date: 
    09-04-2007
  • Coordinates: 
    49°25'N 02°22'W
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

The Site consists of the Gouliot Headland on the west coast of Sark, and La Moie de Gouliot, a large sea stack connected to the headland at low water. It includes Gouliot Caves, which cross the Headland three times from north to south with other openings to the west. These caves are notable for the remarkable variety of invertebrate life, especially sponges, hydroids, sea-anemones and sea squirts that can be found on their walls, which are accessible by foot at low spring tide or by diving. This wealth of species is probably a consequence of the caves having several entrances with inter-connecting passageways, leading to strong currents developing through the caves at high water and bringing plenty of food to the mainly filter-feeding organisms on the cave walls. Before the invention of the aqualung this was one of the few places where sub-marine life could be examined in situ and so it played an important part in the development of marine zoology.

Administrative region: 
Sark, Bailiwick of Guernsey

  • Last publication date: 
    09-01-2017

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