Seahorse saved after being stranded on Bournemouth beach

Although they are an endangered species, seahorses have been spotted a few times over the years in the Dorset area, in particular Bournemouth and Studland Bay.

Neil Garrick-Maidment, executive director and founder of The Seahorse Trust, said the seahorse was lucky to be spotted so quickly.

He said: “They can survive for a short period of time out of the water as seahorses have an enclosed gill which holds water for a period.

“However, anything more than half an hour out of the water can have negative effects.”

The Seahorse Trust is a charitable organisation for research into seahorses and collects data to aid the protection around them.

Anyone who spots a seahorse washed up is recommended to send The Seahorse Trust a photo to support its research, before swiftly returning it to the water.

Read more: Ten new 'eco moorings' installed at Studland Bay

The particular seahorse found on the beach was a spiny seahorse (Hippocampus Guttulatus), but short snouted seahorses (Hippocampus Hippocampus) can also be found around the British Coastline.

The seahorse was around 18cm long and believed to be about 4-6 years old, however seahorses never stop growing as long as they are not disturbed.

The more we know, the more we can do to protect them.

The Seahorse Trust said understanding the species is crucial to their protection and conservation saying “the more we know, the more we can do to protect them”.

Studland Bay became a Marine Conservation Zone as a result of the trust’s research work in the area.

Read more: No-anchor zones introduced in Studland to protect seahorses

The trust has also recently received funding to install 21 more ecomoorings in Studland Bay - mechanisms that help to take the pressure off the highly sensitive site which is home to seagrass and seahorses.

Neil added: “We are looking for more funding so if there is any businesses out there who want to help fund us with even more funding, I’d love to hear from them.”