10-year-old girl's mission to save sea creatures at Heacham

Amaya Edwards's parents Gavin and Colette own a static caravan at Heacham, near King's Lynn, which they often visit from their home in Leicestershire.

Amaya Edwards on Heacham Beach with her parents Gavin and Collette (Image: Chris Bishop)

But instead of building sandcastles or going for a paddle, their daughter dedicates herself to rescuing stranded jellyfish and picking up litter.

Amaya, who hopes to be a marine biologist when she grows up, said: "I just want to help the sea animals."

Amaya Edwards rescues a jellyfish with her spade (Image: Colette Edwards)

Mrs Edwards, 41, said her daughter became upset when she saw how other children treated the creatures after they had been washed up on the beach.

"She did research on them and realised they can live for 45 minutes out of the water so if you use a spade you can put them back in as they are important to ocean ecosystem," she said.

Amaya Edwards with some of the rubbish she has collected from Heacham Beach (Image: Colette Edwards)

"We have a static caravan we own in Heacham and Amaya goes and cleans the beach every day of rubbish and has saved a seal, hundreds of jellyfish and two seagulls so far."

Amaya reported a poorly young seal to the nearby Sea Life Hunstanton, whose staff came and rescued the creature and nursed it back to health.

Amaya Edwards also paints pebbles, which she leaves on the beach to encourage other children to save jellyfish (Image: Chris Bishop)

After finding a dead seal, she designed a poster urging people to put their rubbish in a bin and a postcard which went on sale in Hunstanton, raising £500 for the Sea Life Trust.

Amaya, who has autism, has a support dog called Boo, an eight-year-old Lhasa Apso.

Amaya Edwards has made a box for toys left for other children to swap, borrow or take as she said there could be children who can’t afford toys (Image: Colette Edwards)

She has written three books, using Boo's adventures to show children how they can help wildlife and recycle rubbish like plastic bottles.

"She struggles to communicate with the world around her and isn’t happy about the rubbish people leave on the beach and wanted to communicate to the world," said Mrs Edwards.

Amaya Edwards on Heacham Beach with her parents, Gavin and Colette (Image: Chris Bishop)

"She has now had them published and available to buy on Amazon in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.

"Some of the profits are going to  the Sea Life Trust and Caudwell Children, who help children with autism."