Mermaids purses, as the name might suggest, resemble money pouches of an antique variety, having what appear to be small draw-strings at each end. Leathery and translucent, at around two inches in length they are just big enough for a small jewel or a few grains of gold, but their real purpose is to encase the young of the lesser-spotted Dogfish (scyliorhinus canicula) protecting them from predators and the current, during the breeding period from November to July. The drawstrings are actually long elastic threads used to attach the egg cases to seaweed or rocks, preventing them, most of the time, from being swept away by the currents. However, at this time of the year the winter storms throw mounds of seaweed up onto the shore, and if you poke through the debris you can often find capsules, not only of dogfish, but also of skate and several different species of ray. Usually they are empty, but occasionally you might come across one which still contains its occupant.

At first I assumed it must be dead, indeed I only noticed the egg case was still full because I’d picked it up to look at it, but in doing so perhaps it felt the heat of my hand through the leathery membrane, and this caused it to stir, switching its tail as it circled round its still-attached yolk sac, coming to rest with its two eyes towards me. Could it see me? Was what I was looking at even conscious? I don’t know, but it was definitely alive and, having picked it up, I now felt I needed to give it a chance of survival.

Twice I hurled it as far as could manage back into the sea, twice the sea threw it back onto the beach, but the third time it took, and swept the little pod away. I suppose I know that the chances of it surviving are almost negligible, but there has to be hope.