Its northern latitude means that some Arctic species find a home there, but the warm currents that flow up from the Gulf of Mexico also make Irish shores habitable for species found in southern Europe, the Canaries, and the Mediterranean.

Providing habitats like no other, Ireland's coasts are teeming with plant and animal life. Whether you visit on a sunny summer day or for a wild walk in winter, there is always something interesting to see, either living on the shore or washed up from the sea