A herd of cows have been spotted lapping up the sun on a beach, much to the dismay of those hoping to take up the same spots the animals are using on the Holy Island beach
A herd of cows have been making the most of the sunny weather by heading to an Anglesey beach for a bit of sun, sand and seaweed.
The cattle, believed to be native Welsh Blacks, have become regular visitors to Porth y Garan near Trearddur Bay on Holy Island. The bovine beachgoers seem to have taken a liking to the small inlet which, when the tide is out, divides into smaller coves. It’s not clear who owns the cows but it’s thought they may have wandered down to the beach via the Anglesey Coastal Path, which runs behind the beach.
Porth y Garan, which backs onto a caravan park, is privately owned but is a popular spot with beachgoers, who are drawn to its shingle, patches of sand and picturesque setting. It seems the local cattle also enjoy a day at the seaside, especially when low tides reveal plenty of salty treats.
“They scoff the seaweed and paddle for hours,” one local revealed. Seaweed has been causing a stir in climate change circles recently as it’s thought to reduce methane emissions, a harmful greenhouse gas. Feed additives have been developed amid claims that bromoform from red seaweed can cut methane emissions by up to 90%.
Recent studies in Australia suggest the effect might not be quite as strong. However, humble marine algae or “nature’s little kelper” is still seen as a key weapon in the fight to produce climate-smart cows. Locals have experienced a surprise as they find themselves sharing their beach lounging space with these seaweed munching visitors.
When asked about their meeting with this peculiar crowd, a holidaymaker expressed horror, commenting: “No, just no!” on social media. Another bemoaned the disruption of navigating cow pats on the sand.
Not just cows are frequenting the coasts, sheep have also been reported to ramble to the beach. It’s a history lesson – traditionally, lambs were brought up on the country’s salt marshes and the meat derived continues to attract a premium owing to its exquisite flavour. Wales, bordered by the sea, has had a long-standing tradition of grazing cattle on the coast. While seeing them on the beaches may be an unfamiliar sight, it does occur prominent examples being Three Cliffs Bay and Rhossili beaches on The Gower.
Dune grazing is becoming more common among conservation bodies as part of habitat management places like Llanddwyn, near Newborough, and Morfa Bychan, near Porthmadog, are good examples. However, this coastal grazing practice can also present issues.
Late last year, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) announced it had taken measures to control coastal pollution caused by cows and sheep in Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey. Working with landowner National Trust Cymru, 2.6km of fencing was erected after two lagoons were found to have green algae and high levels of nutrients.
Officers were concerned that livestock faeces was running off the land and washing into the lagoons. These lie within a marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) that’s important for rare plants and wildlife. A trip to the seaside can be dangerous for cows too. In 2013, nine cows drowned on a beach in Carmarthenshire after they were cut off by the incoming tide in dense fog. They were part of a herd of 30 which had escaped from a farm nine miles away.
Five managed to swim to Burry Port pier and were covered in thermal blankets and clothes to combat hypothermia. Most of the dead washed ashore. Two were found in the sea by local fishermen. Beach invasions by cattle occur around the world, notably in Goa, while cow beaches on Sardinia in the Mediterranean have become minor tourist attractions. In 2021, several beaches on the French island of Corsica were closed after multiple cow attacks on beachgoers.