Y Môr a Ni and its partners – North Wales Wildlife Trust, Project SIARC (a partnership between the Zoological Society of London and Natural Resources Wales), BSAC and Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation – are joining forces with Team Wales to celebrate Welsh seas, coasts and local communities as part of the King’s Baton Relay ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Events will take place in North Wales on 22 and 23 June, highlighting the deep connection between people and the sea and showcasing the organisations, volunteers and communities working to protect Wales’ marine environment.
As a founding partner in the Welsh Ocean Literacy Coalition and Y Môr a Ni (“The Sea and Us”), BSAC is proud to be playing a leading role in the relay’s marine activities, demonstrating how snorkelling and diving help connect people with the underwater world while supporting conservation and citizen science projects around the Welsh coast.
Porthdinllaen – Monday 22 June
The relay will begin at Porthdinllaen on the Llŷn Peninsula, where Project SIARC volunteers will carry out a shark and skate eggcase hunt before passing the baton to North Wales Wildlife Trust’s Seagrass Ocean Rescue champions.
The young conservation champions will then snorkel with the baton above the seagrass meadows, accompanied by underwater filming and photography, before handing the baton to BSAC representatives waiting offshore.
BSAC-trained snorkellers and divers will receive the baton and transfer it to a flotilla of volunteer-operated BSAC club RIBs. Four BSAC-supported boats are expected to participate in the event, including two boats from Chester Sub Aqua Club, a boat operated by members of Wrexham Sub Aqua Club, and a boat skippered by Chris Holden of Chester Sub Aqua Club, well known to many divers as author of The Essential Underwater Guide to North Wales series.
The BSAC boats will launch from Dinas Boatyard and travel to the event site in advance of the relay, providing a safe and coordinated platform for the final stage of the marine baton handover.
The relay at sea represents a unique partnership between marine conservation organisations, community volunteers and recreational water users, demonstrating how different groups can work together to encourage greater understanding and protection of Wales’ marine environment.
Menai Bridge – Tuesday 23 June
The celebrations continue the following day in Menai Bridge, where Y Môr a Ni and North Wales Wildlife Trust will lead a guided coastal walk featuring community baton bearers, local volunteers and representatives from across North Wales.
The walk will highlight the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Menai Strait while showcasing the importance of ocean literacy and community engagement in protecting Wales’ coasts and seas.
A partnership for ocean literacy
The event brings together organisations that helped create Y Môr a Ni, Wales’ national ocean literacy strategy and one of the first initiatives of its kind in Europe. Through activities ranging from shark eggcase surveys and seagrass restoration to snorkelling, diving and citizen science, partners are helping people develop a deeper understanding of the marine environment and their role in protecting it.
Mary Tetley, Chief Executive of BSAC, said:
We are delighted to be supporting the King’s Baton Relay alongside our partners across North Wales. The handover from North Wales Wildlife Trust’s young seagrass champions to BSAC snorkellers, divers and volunteer-operated club boats is a powerful symbol of how people can connect with the sea throughout their lives. Through diving and snorkelling, BSAC helps thousands of people experience the underwater world first-hand, creating a lasting appreciation of Wales’ extraordinary marine environment and inspiring action to protect it.
We are particularly proud that volunteers from Chester Sub Aqua Club, Wrexham Sub Aqua Club and the wider BSAC community are giving their time and expertise to support this unique celebration of Wales’ seas, coasts and communities.
Marine Champion Leila Anderson-Bryan (pictured above, litter picking) will be carrying the baton on behalf of BSAC during the relay. Leila said:
I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be taking part in the King’s Baton Relay and to represent the next generation of marine champions. The ocean has always been a huge passion of mine, and through my conservation work I’ve seen how important it is that we protect our seas for the future. I hope to inspire other young people to get involved, explore our oceans, and understand the difference we can all make through conservation. Being recognised by BSAC and being part of such a special event is something I’m really proud of.
