Meet Archie the Gull & Friends
Share in the adventures of characters created by Tracy Beattie. Join
Archie the Gull & his best friend Max the Crab, as they are joined by
Archie’s long-time love, Gracie the Gull, along with a host of other
loveable creatures. Together they take on life and all the fun that
living by the sea provides...
Archie the Gull
Archie the Gull is one of a kind. He is
adventurous and yet doesn’t like to
travel too far from home. He enjoys
long walks on the beach and being
chief menu taster for the local
restaurants. Unfortunately for Archie,
his best friend Max the Crab is never
far away and is always ready to
torment him. Happily, his long-time
love Gracie the Gull provides a steadying and calming influence in
his life as they take on life by the sea.
Did you Know? Seagulls pair for life, and as parents, both take
turns in incubating the eggs, feeding and protecting the
chicks.
Max the Crab
Max is a cheeky crab with a
mischievous nature. He never tires
of exploring either land or sea. He
loves to play practical jokes –
particularly on Archie the Gull, who
never sees them coming. Archie has
been his best friend for as long as
Max can remember, although
Archie sometimes wishes he’d had Max for lunch when they first
met.
Did you Know? Crabs communicate via sound. They produce
drumming and flapping sounds using their claws and pincers.
Gracie the Gull
Their eyes met over a calm sea at
sunset, and it was love at first sight
for Archie. Gracie began to see his
charms when he began bringing her
the best fish of the day, and little by
little she began to fall in love too.
Gracie loves to travel, but her heart is
forever at home with Archie, to whom
she always returns. Her favourite
time of day is just after sunset as her and Archie silently watch the
stars come out one by one after a day well-spent.
Did you Know? Seagulls are very clever; they can learn,
remember and pass on behaviours to each other, like
dropping shellfish in the air to break the shells easier.
Oscar the Oystercatcher
Unlike other Oystercatchers, Oscar
believes he should live up to his name
and only eat Oysters, preferably while
listening to Bach. He finds it unfair that
people compare penguins to men in
tuxedos, as he thinks he looks just as
dashing – and not at all comical as
some would suggest. He has a
fondness for fine dining and the opera,
although he usually doesn’t meet the dress code requirements to
attend either.
Did you Know? Oystercatchers live 12 years on average, but
the longest on record lived 40 years!
Lucky the Limpet
Nobody has told Lucky that Oscar
the Oystercatcher will never eat a
Limpet – he is more likely to befriend
them and take them to lunch rather
than have one for lunch. She lives in
fear of him, and shuts her shell
tightly at the sound of Bach (Oscar’s
favourite music). Lucky believes she
has only survived this long because
she must be as lucky as her name would suggest. On carefree days,
she likes to roam from rock to rock and to surf and explore the tidal
zone.
Did you Know? Limpets move all around the rocks when the
tide is in, but always return to their favourite home spot when
the tide goes out.
Hank the Hermit Crab
Hank is the original camper-van
owner – he’s been bringing his home
with him since he was little, and yes,
he likes to live by the beach. He
moves house from time to time,
when he outgrows his old home.
Carrying his home along with him,
Hank is a free spirit, and sociable. He
may rarely come out of his shell, but he is happy and outgoing. He
resents the fact that people think hermit crabs are quiet &
unsociable; a prejudice he seeks to eradicate through educational
initiatives.
Did you Know? Hermit Crabs breathe through gills, and their
shells help keep the gills moist, allowing them to still breathe
out of water.
George the Puffin
George the Puffin loves island life;
he has many fond memories as a
little puffling on the rocky island just
off the coast, and still likes to spend
his summers there. He’s a
traditionalist at heart, and loves the
strong community aspect of island
life. He likes to look dapper, and
when he’s not preening himself, he
enjoys taking evening strolls on summer evenings to catch up with
old friends.
Did you Know? Puffins only sport their bright orange beaks in
spring & summer. They spend their winters at sea, and their
beaks change to a dull grey colour.
Harriet the Seal
Harriet has a curious nature and
likes to explore her surroundings,
both above and below the waves.
She has a particular interest in
human-watching, and takes
advantage of the busy summer
months to observe this fascinating
species. She enjoys watching their
curious boating, beach and land
activities, and eavesdropping on their conversations sometimes
makes her laugh. After a hard day of splashing around, she likes
to relax on the rocky shores.
Did you Know? The common, or harbour seal gives birth to
one pup in the summer; their milk is so rich in fat, the baby
seal can double it’s 16kg birth weight in just a few weeks.
Elsie the Whale & Baby
Ruby
Elsie is a whale with a calm and
unflappable nature. She has
travelled the globe and nothing
phases her. She tries her best to
live in the moment and enjoy the
full experience life has to offer.
She is a keen singer, and her
fellow sea creatures enjoy
listening to her soothing ocean lullabies from many miles away.
Elsie has became a Mummy to baby Ruby, who now joins her on
all her world singing tours. Ruby is a little whale with a big
heart, and a huge zest for all that ocean life has to offer.
Did you Know? Whales only sleep with half their brain at a
time, allowing them to swim and continue returning to the
surface to breathe.
Stella the Starfish
Stella has always been curious
about other worlds, particularly
those beyond her reach. She has
held a passion for astronomy since
she was little and Solomon the
Octopus taught her about stars in
the sky. On clear nights she likes to
lie in her favourite rock pool and
gaze at the multitudes of stars in
the heavens.
Did you Know? Starfish don’t have blood, but instead pump
seawater around their bodies to deliver vital nutrients.
Solomon the Octopus
Ever since Solomon learned to read,
he has always loved to learn, and so it
was a natural progression for
Solomon to become a teacher - just
like his Mum before him. With eight
arms, he can handle the most unruly
of pupils - even Max the Crab soon
learned that his crafty tricks were no
match for teacher Solomon. He
believes that no matter how young or old you are, there are
always new things to learn - and fun to be had.
Did you Know? Octopuses have blue blood, and have three
hearts to pump that blue blood around their bodies.