New interactive water sports map shows wildlife friendly routes in Hampshire for kayakers and paddleboarders

Kayaking next to the crane at sunset near Portchester Castle taken by Alex Yorke

The map recommends both routes and launching points along the New Forest coast as well as the Rivers Itchen and Hamble. It will be extended the following months to the rest of the Solent, including the Isle of Wight.

The guidance features an online map which ‘pinpoints’ wildlife-friendly routes for kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders. The interactive map also shows windsurfers and kite surfers where to launch and land to minimise disturbance to birds and their habitats, as well as information about required permits, tides, picnic spots, where to find local amenities, public toilets and parking.

Every year up to 125,000 migrating bird species come to the Solent from as far as from the Arctic to take advantage of the abundance of food in the coastal mudflats. These birds need to feed and rest undisturbed to survive the winter and build enough energy to fly back to their summer breeding grounds.

To mitigate the impact of these aquatic activities along the three special protection areas (SPAs) in the Solent: Solent and Southampton Water SPA, Portsmouth Harbour SPA, and Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA, Bird Aware Solent wants to raise awareness and encourage people to adopt wildlife behaviours.

Nineteen different local authorities and wildlife organisations, including River Hamble Harbour Authority (RHHA) have supported Bird Aware Solent by creating the “water sports with wildlife” map and guides, a report due to be presented to the River Hamble Harbour Management Committee on Friday (June 16) indicated.

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You can check and plan your next route here.