Felix Lever and her father Ashley were taking part in a bit of rockpooling close to Wembury when they made the rare find: a rainbow sea slug.

The 3cm long sea slug is part of a group of marine animals known as nudibranchs – known for their soft bodies and similarity to land slugs and snails.

Felix and Ashley’s discovery of a rainbow sea slug is believed to be the first time the animal has been recorded in Devon. Only a handful of similar finds have ever been made across the UK with others being concentrated in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Felix revealed her colourful news on Instagram @that.nature.freak with a photo and a post which read:

“Saw this amazing - rare sea slug in some rock pools yesterday and it certainly deserved a whole dedicated post!”

Local marine biologist, underwater photographer and proud grandparent to Felix, Dr Paul Naylor (@paulnaylormarinephoto), said:

“What an amazing find by my family! They are real nature enthusiasts who got the marine life ‘bug’ when they started coming to Wembury. It’s such an iconic place for marine education and conservation.”

Coral Smith, is Devon Wildlife Trust’s Marine Engagement Officer and has worked at the charity’s Wembury Marine Centre for more than a decade. Coral said:

“I was blown away when I got a message from a colleague who was already at Wembury beach saying, ‘get down here now!’ I raced down to the beach to find Paul Naylor and his granddaughter Felix, crouched around a large, shallow rockpool.

And there, right before my eyes was indeed the rainbow sea slug. It’s a type of Aeolid nudibranch, part of a family of very brightly coloured sea slugs. This must be the most brightly coloured, beautiful sea slug (or sea creature for that matter) I have ever seen!”

As far as we know, this is the first record for Wembury Marine Conservation Area, and what a time to find it, as it comes at the end of the The Wildlife Trusts’ National Marine Week and on the 30^th Anniversary of our Wembury Marine Centre!”

However, the appearance of the sea slug is not all good news. The species is more usually found in the Mediterranean Sea and around the coasts of Spain and Portugal. Devon Wildlife Trust’s Coral Smith explained the significance of this:

“The discovery of the rainbow sea slug here in Devon is a strong indicator that our seas are warming due to climate change. Because it can now survive here means that other creatures adapted to colder water will be struggling. It really highlights the complexity of how we understand and communicate climate change in the marine environment.”

Devon Wildlife Trust and a team of citizen science volunteers regularly monitors the county’s rocky coastline, recording climate change indicator species, invasive non-native species and native species which may be shifting where they can live. 

Surveys are open to anyone with an interest in marine life. To get involved in a Shoresearch Survey go to our events page.