Seabirds and Fish in Frenzied Feeding Frenzy off Tyrella Beach

On November 13, 2025, the surface of Tyrella Beach in County Down, Northern Ireland, was the site of a dramatic natural spectacle. Desperate fish and hungry seabirds were engaged in a frenzied feeding frenzy, churning the waters in a battle for survival.

A squadron of juvenile great black-backed gulls, dark as witches' capes, were spotted by a birdwatcher, their flight chasing a messy raft of birds that had gathered at the edge of the water. Upon closer inspection, the birdwatcher witnessed a bait ball – a tight, swirling school of small fish, such as sprat or young herring, that had attracted the attention of multiple predators.

The birds, including adult herring gulls, common gulls, and great black-backed gulls, were dipping their heads into the water, while a gannet wielded its sword-like bill at the mob. Razorbills and guillemots in their seasonal tuxedos were diving down and popping up around the larger birds, while cormorants bucked smoothly under the surface and more gulls tipped from the sky.

The bait ball, driven from below by its attackers or attempting to escape, had spiraled up through the water to smash against the air's wall, creating a chaotic scene of splashing and diving. After a brief but intense feeding frenzy, the birds drifted apart, and the sea slowly unwrinkled, leaving behind the aftermath of the natural drama.