1. Whilst I was thinking
about general logistics for
the trip, my mind very
quickly wandered to one of
my favourite subjects –
food.
On my last sea kayaking
adventure we ate mainly
couscous and sachets called,
“Look what we Found,” as well
as occasional fresh food from
villages we passed on our
paddle.Although it was quick
and easy, it wasn’t always
inspiring, and so sometimes a
few of us would cheat and go
for a cheeky meal in a
restaurant… maybe ‘cheat’ is a
harsh term; I think we merely made use of the
tasty resources a tourist island such as
Menorca had to offer.
Every village we arrived at had one thing in
common – restaurants brimming with fresh
seafood. One day we pulled up at a remote
beach where there was a man precariously
paddling in wellington boots on a reef, with a
bucket and what appeared to be something
akin to a litter picker. On
closer inspection and an
exchange made up of single
worded Spanish and French
between us, to my surprise, he
was foraging for sea
anemones, a local delicacy to
be served in his restaurant.
Imagine that – plucking
morsels fresh from the shore
and cooking them within
minutes – I cannot think of
anything lovelier. I began to
wish I knew more about
foraging or even had a hand
line to dangle over my boat to
catch fish with.
We were at all times, on or by
the sea with Mother Nature’s own
supermarket surrounding us, which, with the
know-how and right kit, could have
contributed to our expedition diet.
With this memory in mind and keen to see
what delights can be found and eaten for all
future sea based explorations, I contacted an
expert for her advice.
Seasonal
delightsForaging
In November I’m embarking on an exciting expedition with a group of
friends – we’ve named itThe Maltese SUP Project.We will be attempting to
circumnavigate the three Maltese islands by SUP in nine days.
SONJAJONES
ThePADDLER 11

2. ThePADDLER
Lou,being based in Pembrokeshire
you have access to some of the UK’s
most exquisite coastline – where is
your favourite place to sea kayak?
The offshore islands never disappoint for wildlife
and have the added draw of tide races and a
feeling of exposure. Skomer Island and Ramsey
Island are both National Nature Reserves for
birds and popular with Atlantic grey seals and
harbour porpoise. Skomer Island is surrounded
by a Marine Conservation Zone, which is an
underwater nature reserve so is pretty special
for marine life too. I also love nipping down the
hill from where I live in Solva and launching from
the harbour to explore the coast in my
backyard. Spring low-tide is my favourite time so
that all the shore life is exposed for all to see.
There are so many channels and great rock hops
and the odd cave to drift through.
Have you any particularly
memorable wild sightings?
I’m glad to say the list is quite long!Two years
ago I was lucky enough to go toVancouver
Island for five weeks with my husband and two
friends.We hired some sea kayaks and headed
off in to the wilds in three separate areas of the
island: Johnstone Strait in the north-east, Gordan
Islands in the north and out fromTofino on the
wild west.The wildlife we saw blew our minds!
From breaching humpback whales to bald eagles,
sea otters, black bears foraging on beaches, a
wolf at dusk, killer whales, northern sealions and
birds galore – we were pretty overwhelmed.
One particular night stands out – we were
camped on a tiny island with tide swirling all
around. I woke in the darkness to the sound of a
humpback whale exhaling deeply. I lay there not
sure if I had dreamt the sound until it surfaced
and blew again. It was doing circuits of our island
and drew each of us from our beds to sit and
listen through the blackness.
Closer to home I have had encounters afloat
with minke whales and basking sharks in Skye
and the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and sat in
the tide with harbour porpoise breathing and
fishing nearby off the tidal headlands of the
Pembrokeshire coast.
ThePADDLER 12
Dr Lou
LUDDINGTON
Introducing this season’s Star Paddler and marine forager extraordinaire –
Dr Lou Luddington.
13
Dr Lou Luddington is a marine biologist,sea kayak guide,surf coach and Palm
Ambassador. She is happiest immersed in water and breathing sea air under
the open sky,with the sounds of nature ringing in her ears.Her formal
training involved a degree and PhD at University ofWales,Bangor,where she
spent much time underwater honing skills essential for scientific surveys and
monitoring.She thrives on the physical challenge of long days out sea
kayaking,carving lines on powerful waves and inspiring awe for marine life in
others.Through her company,Luddington Marine,she runs;seashore safaris,
wildlife focused sea kayak trips,and professional courses for outdoor
practitioners on coastal and marine life (www.luddingtonmarine.co.uk).

3. ThePADDLER 15
As a marine biologist and seaweed
enthusiast,I am sure you have a
wealth of knowledge surrounding the
species inhabiting our seashores.Sea
kayaking is a gateway to adventure,
where we can pack a stove,a bivvy,
and find ourselves settled in a
beautiful cove for the night.It lends
itself to a night watching the sun go
down,cooking and eating freshly foraged food.
If we think about all the beautiful seafood in our restaurants,
the sea shore must have some incredible rich pickings at our
finger tips,if only we know where to look and what we’re
looking at.Do you have any top tips for those new to foraging?
First off – learn to identify some common species so you know what you are
looking at. It’s unwise to try something if you don’t what it is! Get yourself a guide
book or even better book a session with me either on the shore or for a sea
kayak journey! Once you’re happy then nibble away and see what you like the
best. Seaweeds certainly have a variety of flavours and textures that appeal to
different palates. I don’t tend to forage for animals so I can’t comment on those
Do we need a license or any special permission to forage from
our sea shores?
As long as you are collecting for personal use and not for commercial purposes
then no licence or permission is required.It is always worth checking whether your
chosen shore has any special protection.TheWildlife and CountrysideAct 1981
make it illegal to collect wild plants or fungi on a National Nature Reserve (NNR)
or a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) but this mainly applies to land habitats.
Sticking to common,easily identifiable species will give you peace of mind
What are your most favourite things to pluck from our shores
to eat?
Seaweeds in general. Sugar kelp is one of my favourites for its nutty flavour.When
collecting it be sure to only collect the end of the frond leaving the remainder to
continue growing
ThePADDLER 14
Sugar kelp
Do you need any special tools for
harvesting seaweeds?
The most you would need is a knife or a pair of
scissors.
Can you recommend any recipes?
I tend to keep it simple and use seaweeds as a
garnish so the flavour and texture is not
overwhelming. I like to add a pinch of either
dried and chopped sugar kelp (Saccharina
latissima) or dried pepper dulse (Osmundea
pinnatifida) to egg fried rice. Seaweeds are
packed full of iron and other minerals so a
great addition to any meal.
We are now heading into deep
autumn and fast approaching
winter… can we find tasty morsels
even in the chillier weather?
In a word yes! Pretty much all species of
seaweed are edible;it’s just that some are more
palatable than others! So it could be a time to
get experimental with your choice of seaweeds.
At this time of year many types of seaweed die
back.Some shed the upper portions which will
be regrown next year,whilst others are annual
so will die off altogether.Fresh growth will begin
in very early spring.Some don’t tend to look
much different so can be foraged all year round.
Sea lettuce Pepper dulse

4. ThePADDLER 16
Is there anything our readers need
to be particularly mindful of
conservation wise?
Not to over-collect from a particular shore. Be
sensitive in the way you collect trying not to
damage or trample other species or habitats. If
you turn over rocks and boulders as you search
be sure to place them back as you found them.
Many species living on the undersides of
boulders do so because they require the
particular conditions found there to survive.
When collecting seaweeds don’t collect the
whole plant – just snip off a portion of the frond,
leaving the holdfast that anchors it the seabed to
continue growing.
Be cautious when collecting molluscs such as
winkles and limpets – as grazers they play a key
role in shaping the whole shore community;
studies have shown that removing them
completely has a drastic, knock-on effect.
I know Dr Lou has inspired me to learn more
about foraging for my future trips – I wonder
what tasty treats we might find in November.
No matter how big or small the trip – go forth
and be responsibly creative with your adventure
food from Mother Nature’s shelf, and if you need
even more inspiration, check out Erin Bastian’s
top tips for expedition food in her latest blog:
http://palmequipmenteurope.com/blog/en/erins-
top-five-expedition-meals