In 1851 a lighthouse was built on the little Samphire island, located a few hundred meters west of Fenit pier.
The land was created from spoil from the Channel Tunnel, and rock samphire used to be harvested from the neighbouring cliffs.
The wetlands form a fauna and flora haven with one of the southern most mangrove habitats in the world, extensive reed and samphire beds and a large bird and fish population.
Myrtaceous and proteaceous scrub-heath occurs in sandstone areas, and salt affected areas grow Tecticornia (Samphire).
Sporobolus virginicus grassland and samphire grow on the mudflats behind the mangroves.
The limestone cliffs also support crevice communities such as thrift (Armeria maritima), sea plantain (Plantago maritima), rock sea-spurrey (Spergularia rupicola), sea-lavender (Limonium binervosum) and golden-samphire (Inula crithmoides).