Thread by @StationeryWoman

I couldn't retrieve this kettle in 2017 after the tide took it away. It has been in the back of my mind since then and today it finally made an appearance. Please take a look through this thread at all the life it has supported and what I was able release. #coastalcleanup

https://twitter.com/StationeryWoman/status/880467490526068740

The moment I found the kettle again, I thought it was a plastic bag. What I couldn't quite believe was the amount of seaweed attached. I think I've walked past it hundreds of times, sadly.

The kettle, heaving with barnacles and some jamming the lid closed

Common starfish and limpet cling to the side, you can see rings where the limpet has settled. It was fairly easy to pluck it from the smooth plastic.

I used an old mussel shell to dislodge the seaweed. A brittlestar wriggling away amd feather star being released back into the water.

A tiny wee fish dashed out too, I scooped it up with sand and released it too.

Another common starfish and lots of shrimp with their young escaping from the seaweed. I put the shrimp in a dish I had, collecting as I went along.

Shrimp release, along with a stray brittlestar too.

The kettle with all but the barnacles removed.

Time to rinse out the inside. The filter is still inside the kettle, pleased that it's intact bar for one small chip.

Another brittlestar and a young cockle tumble out. I realised a wee while later that it's a scaleworm next to the brittlestar too. I love scaleworms.

Here is the scaleworm before release, I have it sitting in a wee dish just to enjoy how cool the beastie is 😎 it was released amongst rocks where they like to hide.

Limpet and second starfish safely in a pool. The first starfish already dashed off 😄 - I was chuffed when I was finishing up to find the limpet had already made a dash to rummage in the seaweed!

I have very mixed feelings about this kettle. It was fascinating to see all the life it supported, but sad that it had to be on a lump of plastic. I'm very happy to have taken it off the shore, even if it took nearly 5yrs.

Tonight I'm working to prise barnacles off the kettle. So far, from the lid and around the push-button I've removed 157 barnacles and a teensy mussel. (last pic) Despite the lid being freed on the outside, something is stopping it from being able to open.

I doubt the barnacles will survive once they're returned to the sea. They're unable to reattach to rock, sadly. The kettle is making interesting gurgling and scratching sounds.

These poor barnacles, they're feeding on fresh sea water as I'm removing them from the kettle. You can hear the scratching sounds in the vid too. So far this dish contains 587 barnacles.

This mussel tumbled out of the kettle too, it has also started feeding. Watch as it's foot is probing around #coastalcleanup.

I have a nice stone from the shore that I took from my wee collection to give to this mussel. I'm beyond delighted to watch it probing around and anchoring down with byssal threads. I hope to follow up with a half decent picture..

The mussel's foot draped back over its shell, and a zoom to show anchoring byssal threads. I can see another small mussel inside the kettle. I can't access it as the lid is still jammed shut.

The dish contains approx 1430 barnacles, a fair few are still feeding and the bigger mussel is busy working it's way along the stone. The barnacles on the kettle are the last of the external ones. I may need to break the lid to access the inside. #hmm #coastalcleanup

The last pics, I prised it open with tyre levers, found a few small mussels inside + a scaleworm right in the hinge of the lid. It fell upside down when released into the dish, it has a wee red arrow to it. A mussel inside the handle too. I'll release them in daylight tomorrow.

After losing sight of the kettle in 2017, I felt a certain responsibility to take extra care before flinging it in the bin. I'm glad I did, and really appreciate the messages people have posted here too. #coastalcleanup #teamwork

Oh and I counted 1644 barnacles, 1 scaleworm, around 8 mussels (forgot to count those 😅) and 1 tubeworm.

I was pleased to see the mussels had clumped together overnight. I've wedged the rock next to a pre-existing cluster. The barnacles are now in a series of pools, they are still feeding for the time being. The scale worm was too wriggly for a pic 😅 They're all back in the sea now