Youngsters had a whale of a time learning about the coast on a special expedition.

The 1st Sid Vale Beavers colony embarked on an adventure exploring Sidmouth beach as part of their mission to achieve their ‘Explorers’ activity badge while investigating the different types of seaweed they could find and how to identify shells.

They found three different species of jellyfish, too, and were helped with their identification skills by Jamie Sparks - conservation biologist and scout volunteer.

Beavers leader Sarah Fletcher said: “We all had a good evening learning about how to look after our coast, what we can find and how to keep safe whilst also having lots of fun.”

The colony is the first section of the scouting movement and takes boys and girls from the ages of six to eight years old. The group has a long waiting list and would love to hear from anyone interested in helping. Visit sidvalescoutgroup.com