I suspect it has several sources - visiting places like Kimmeridge Bay and enjoying the rock pool life and looking down from the cliff tops on the multi-coloured patchwork that is the shallow-water seaweeds there.

But the biggests factor was probably buying a copy of this book, which is the most fantastic species identification guide to British marine wildife, filled with gorgeous colour photos of sea anenemoes and fantastic creatures that I had never realised existed.  Most of us (including me until recently) have no idea what lives in our own waters.   This pregnant male seahorse was photographed in Dorset.



This pink sea fan is another British native - a slow-growing, cold-water coral.

Jewel anonomes



 brittle-stars , sea feathers

 and so much more besides.  The cloudy water hides them all from us, but if you actually go and look, there are wonders to be seen.

I really cannot recommend this book too highly.  It's informative and tells you quite a bit about each species, but it's the photographs that make it.  Page after page of gorgeous pictures.  Treat yourself (or give a copy as a gift) and if you aren't totally charmed by the photo of the Tompot Blenny, or awed by the beauty of the Plumose Anenome, then I'll eat my copy of the book.  (the pictures above aren't from the book, but they give you an idea what to expect)