Offshore

The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international co-operation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 146 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1,458 wetland sites, totaling 125.4 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

Jersey has four designated Ramsar sites:

South East Coast

Amongst the largest intertidal reef sites in Europe, this site 22km off the coast of France comprises various habitats: reefs, boulder fields, mud, sandy and shingle shores not covered by water at low tide, combined with shallow tidal lagoons, seagrass beds and a large number of outlying reefs.

The maximum spring tide range of 12m exposes 17.5km2 of wave cut rock platforms, extensive areas of reef, and a complex system of soft substrate gullies. The site provides important winter habitat for waders and wildfowl and produces a rich and diverse range of biotopes and some uncommon species assemblages. Due to the enormous water exchanges a wide diversity of species are present. Fishing is of great cultural, social, and traditional importance to the population, and a wide range of non-exploitive recreational activity is very important within the site.

Moonwalks, low-tide walks through the site across the sea bed, run throughout the year. They are guided walks informing you of the flora and fauna, human history of the area and also visit the offshore towers. Find out more about these walks . . .

Seymour Tower sits two kilometres offshore in the Royal Bay of Grouville in one of the largest inter-tidal reef sites in Europe. A square tower with a gun battery at the base, it is an exceptional example of Jersey’s unique form of coastal defence tower, developed by Sir Henry Seymour Conway, a Governor of Jersey in the late 18th century.

Seymour Tower was built in 1782 as a direct response to the failed French invasion a year earlier when Major Francis Pierson’s men defeated Baron de Rullecourt’s forces in the Royal Square. To prevent a repeat of the events of January 1781, it was decided to build a tower on the high water mark on L’Avarison islet.

Icho Tower is a  Martello Tower which was built from huge granite blocks in 1810, the walls of the Tower are about 2 metres thick. Icho Tower is only accessible by foot on the lowest tides and then only for a couple of hours around low water.

Les Écréhous & Les Dirouilles

The site is situated 20 km to the north-east of Gorey harbour on the east of Jersey.

The site complex consists of two reefs which form an extensive shoal area 11 km long and 3.7 km wide. At high tide only a group of rocky heads and an islet, Le Maitre Isle, are exposed. Four of the heads are large enough to support buildings: La Marmotiére, Le Blianque Îsle, La Grande Brecque and La Petit Breque. The tidal range can exceed 12 m. At low tide various habitats are exposed, including reefs, boulder fields, sandy shores and shingle banks. The area is fed clean well-oxygenated water, and this factor, together with the range of habitats and the site’s biogeographical position supports a wide range of rich and diverse biotopes and some unusual species assemblages. Fishing within the site is of great cultural, social and traditional importance to the population of Jersey.

The site has the one of the largest tidal ranges in the world which can exceed 12 metres, and a wide range of substrata and wave exposure. Its waters are relatively warm due to the influence of the Gulf Stream and surrounding oceanographic conditions.

The area supports wildlife such as bottlednosed, common, white beaked, risso's and striped dolphins, harbour porpoise, pilot whale, atlantic grey seals and basking shark. Birdlife is also abundant.

See 'Sight & Activities' to find out about trips to Les Écréhous.

Les Minquiers

The Minquiers (Les Minquiers; in Jèrriais: Les Mîntchièrs; nicknamed "the Minkies" in local English) are a group of islands and rocks situated 9 miles south of Jersey forming part of the Bailiwick of Jersey. They are administratively part of the Parish of Grouville.

The islands have no permanent inhabitants, though fishermen, vraic collectors, yachtmen and even sometimes canoeists make summer landfall.

See 'Sight & Activities' to find out about trips to Les Minquiers.

Les Pierres de Lecq (the Paternosters)

Les Pierres de Lecq (Jèrriais: Les Pièrres dé Lé) or the Paternosters are a group of uninhabitable rocks, or a reef, lying approximately 16 km due north of Gréve de Lecq on the north-west coast of Jersey. At high water only four heads are uncovered. At low tide an extensive reef is uncovered.

Only three of the rocks remain visible at high tide: L'Êtaîthe (the eastern one), La Grôsse (the big one or 'Great Rock' - is four metres high) et La Vouêtaîthe (the western one). The area has one of the greatest tidal ranges in the world, sometimes being as much as 12 metres.

The name Paternosters is connected with a legend relating to the colonisation of Sark in the 16th century. According to this legend a boatload of women and children was wrecked on the reef and their cries can still be heard from time to time in the wind. Superstitious sailors would say the Lord's Prayer when passing the rocks, hence the name Paternosters.

The rocks support a variety of small cetaceans including dolphins. It is considered to form a biogeographical boundary.