A spectacular seahorse costume that has been in production since early December was unveiled for the benefit of Budmouth Technology College students at the end of January.
The incredible 45-foot Carnival-style costume was created by artist and designer Sarah Butterworth at her studio in Compton Valence.
Destined for a Chinese New Year event in Manchester, Sarah was only too happy to have the Budmouth students put it through its paces first.
“The College is using seahorses as the theme for a community art project this year,” said Weymouth Sea Life Park’s Laura Culshaw.
“They plan to produce 150 decorative wooden seahorses and feature them as a spectacular wall display at the Sea Life Park.”
Laura and her Sea Life colleagues hosted the students on a visit to see living assorted seahorses at the Park after their visit to Compton Valence.
“The big seahorse appeared on Thursday morning at Manchester’s Chinatown, as part of an appeal by Manchester Sea Life Centre for China to remember the ‘seahorse’ during its Year of The Horse,” said Weymouth Sea Life Cluster Marketing Manager, Lucy Putt.
“They thought it would be a very striking way of appealing to the community and afar to help stem the annual toll of seahorses killed for traditional medicines,” she added.
“Latest estimates suggest the number killed every year could be as high as 150 million.”
Sea Life recruited Sarah Butterworth to make the seahorse after learning of her earlier project – Horace the Pliosaur, a 35-foot model of a prehistoric marine reptile which appeared at festivals and events all over the South West last summer.
