North Norfolk Marine Conservation Zone - some photos and a short film

Last week with the fine weather and calm seas I decided to make a short film showing some of the beauty that lies beneath the waves just off our beach here at Sheringham.In 2016 the unique chalk reef ecosystem stretching from Weybourne to Happisburgh was designated to be an official Marine Conservation Zone.  The MCZ covers an area of 321 square kilometres and is home to a vast and rich diversity of sealife.  The MCZ is apparently home to over 30 species of Sea Slug, I haven't spotted any yet but I'll keep looking!The problem is that for much of the year the sea is stirred up so much that the water resembles a muddy gravy which is no good for snorkelling or scuba diving.  Most years we have a few weeks in the summer when the sea is calm enough for the sediment to drop out and the water clears up providing some great visibility for underwater exploring.  Last week was one of them and with the beautiful sunshine beaming down on us I couldn't resist a venture into the water, I wasn't disappointed.  I don't recall the water ever being quite this clear, the visibility was great!Below is a short film I made using the drone for some aerial footage and a GoPro Hero6 for some 4K underwater shots.  I think the results have surpised a lot of people as to just how clear the water can get and also how beautiful this environment is, just under our noses but often totally unexplored by the vast majority.  At the time of writing the FB video has had over 30,000 views & 500+ shares on my Facebook page, plus an edited version appearing on the BBC East of England social media pages (another 33,000+ views) and stills/clips of it being used by the EDP & BBC in other areas.  I'm due to be interviewed for a piece about the chalk reef for BBC Look East next week too.  Jacques Cousteau was always my hero as a kid so this is my chance to emulate him!Below are some still shots I took while down there, not as sharp as I'd like but not bad for a little GoPro I guess!