HUNDREDS of people flocked to Goodwick Beach on Friday, August 17, to see a giant sea monster come ashore.

The Cragen, a mythical beast from the deep, has been created by Cardigan's Small World Theatre and is touring the Welsh coast this summer.

The 20-metre long monster emerged at Lowertown before swimming over to greet the 1,500 strong crowd assembled on Goodwick beach and along the breakwater.

Prior to her arrival, professor DW appeared on the beach to share information from a lifetime's study of sea monsters.

She introduced her sea creature specimen, which the audience delighted in feeding with seaweed, before the Cragen appeared on the horizon bringing with her more sea creatures and a message about the importance of keeping our seas plastic free.

The event, organised by Sea Trust; Fishguard's Ocean Guardians and Theatre Gwaun, also featured the Welsh Wildlife Trust's Living Seas roadshow; a Keep Wales Tidy beach clean; a poetry reading and face painting and stalls from Sea Trust.

In the evening there was a screening of The Islands and the Whale and The Smog of the Sea, with food from Transition Cafe, at Theatr Gwaun.

"It was a great day for us in Goodwick," said Small World's Sam Vicary. "We worked closely with the project partners Sea Trust Wales, Ocean Guardians, PCNPA and Keep Wales Tidy to make the event happen.

Heart FM, Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council and Film Hub Wales were also involved in delivering the event.

"We've been planning it for over nine months so it was great that so many turned up to meet a real clean seas monster.

"We had visitors from Nottingham, London, Leicester and even Pennsylvania. Everyone enjoyed the issues-based theatre and it's always an incredible moment when the audience starts spotting Cragen with her wow factor."

Sea Trust's Cliff Benson added:

"Despite unpromising weather, a great time was had by all, visitors and locals! Thanks to all that attended.

"For Sea Trust, every year is the year of the sea. We are committed to keeping our Goodwick Parrog and the sea front alive and focusing on the marine life and environment we can see from the Ocean Lab and beyond. If you want to know more about our work, come and see us here, we are open seven days a week fifty-one weeks of the year."

Cliff thanked Sea Trust's Anna Elliot and Ocean Guardian's Julia Moffet for helping organise the event so competently.

"We were really pleased and excited by how well the day went and delighted that so many organisations got together to make the day a real success," said Ocean Guardians' Anna Elliot and Karel Mujica.

"Like Sir David Attenborough, we hope that the message about plastic waste in the sea being unacceptable reaches far and wide".