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Puffin with sandeels in its mouth.

The Sandeel: A Puffins’ lifeline, a photographer’s muse and a looming courtroom battle

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Elephant Island 2 489
By Jos Dewing, FRGS
MARCH 03, 2025

Until an expedition cruise last year, the sandeel was nameless to me. A small, silvery fish often depicted in wildlife photography, clutched in the beaks of seabirds like puffins and kittiwakes.

Sandeels and expedition cruising
sandeel: Photo Credit Pixabay

I had only encountered this fish through images, paintings, and postcards. Capturing seabirds on camera is always rewarding, but when adorned with sandeels in their beaks, the image transforms into a powerful representation of critical food chains because this fish is vital to marine ecosystems. 

The significance of the sandeel, which is not an eel at all, but a fish with an elongated, eel-like body, extends far beyond its aesthetic appeal in photography. This small fish is at the heart of a heated legal and environmental debate, with a pivotal court ruling expected in April 2025.

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