Sadness as thousands of starfish wash up on Prestatyn beach

Stuart Wimbles came across the sad scene on Sunday, March 24.

Stuart said: "We went for a walk with the grandchildren and walked behind the groins.

"We first saw one dead starfish, then lots in the water pools around the back. We then walked toward the sea and saw thousands of them.

Thousands of starfish had wash up on the sands in Prestatyn (Image: Stuart Wimbles)
"It is such a sad sight to see them all washed up after a rough sea overnight."

Stuart posted photos of the starfish in Facebook group 'Prestatyn Connect'. 

When sharing the pictures, Stuart said: "Sad to see so many starfish washed ashore on the beach. There were literally thousands of them. Some were alive by the groins but sadly some did not make it."

According to the Environment Agency, following rough seas, higher tides and strong winds, large amounts of marine material such as seaweed gets washed up on beaches regularly around the UK.

Starfish, crabs and other crustaceans can be vulnerable to wash ups (Image: Stuart Wimbles)
Marine life such as whole invertebrates (like starfish), crabs and other crustaceans can be vulnerable to wash ups as they tend to live in or migrate to shallow water, which means they are more likely to be swept on to beaches. This could happen all year round but is more common in the autumn and winter months.

A spokesperson for Natural Resources Wales said: “There have been no reports of pollution affecting the North Wales coast over the weekend.

“Events like this are not an uncommon and are usually connected with stormy weather. The brisk north-westerly wind blowing towards the North Wales coast over the weekend combined with high spring tides is likely to have resulted in currents which washed the starfish ashore.

“We would advise members of the public not to move any washed-up sea life and to ensure dogs are kept under control in the vicinity.”