91Èȱ¬

An endangered species of seahorse native to the UK has been spotted in British waters for the first time in more than two years.

Marine conservationists say they spotted 16 spiny seahorses, including a pregnant male, near Studland Bay in Dorset.

The team say this is the highest number they have seen in a single dive since they began studying the area in 2008.

They think that the seahorses have been able to return to their habitat because there have been fewer people and boats in the area since the coronavirus lockdown began.

Neil Garrick-Maidment, founder of conservation charity, the Seahorse Trust, said: "We have seen so many seahorses because the food chain has recovered, giving seahorses plenty of food to eat, and crucially, somewhere to hide."

Seahorses live in long seagrass that is often damaged by boats and other human activity.

The UK has two native seahorse species, the spiny and the short-snouted seahorse. Both were granted protected status in 2008 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

In 2017, as many as six spiny and short-snouted seahorses were spotted in the River Thames in London.

The seahorses are the latest in a list of marine creatures that have been thriving since the worldwide lockdown - a list that includes endangered sea turtles.