People living near Canvey Lake in Essex said they have been left “broken” and “devastated” after the death of a swan family that had become a source of joy for visitors. The swans and their cygnets had brought joy to visitors at Canvey Lake, residents said, but all five birds died after concerns about the deteriorating condition of the water.
Canvey Lake had two resident swans who produced nine cygnets this year. Two of the cygnets were killed by foxes, and four others were taken to South Essex Wildlife Hospital in June, where one later died from avian botulism. The remaining three cygnets, along with their mother and father, were taken to the wildlife hospital on Tuesday after concerns over the deteriorating condition of Canvey Lake and died on Friday.
Martin England, 62, a Friends of Canvey Lake committee member, described the situation as an “environmental disaster”. Sue Schwar, the founder of South Essex Wildlife Hospital, said she was “100% sure” the deaths had been caused by exposure to blue-green algae.
“environmental disaster”
“100% sure”
Hayley Cockayne, 50, who lives in Canvey, said: “I’m absolutely broken. I’m devastated. I’ve spent four or five hours with them daily for the past three years.
“I’m absolutely broken. I’m devastated. I’ve spent four or five hours with them daily for the past three years.”
“I always said this year we would lose all the wildlife on this lake and I knew it was coming but it didn’t make it any easier to accept.”
“I always said this year we would lose all the wildlife on this lake and I knew it was coming but it didn’t make it any easier to accept.”
In 1998 Canvey Lake was officially registered as a Local Nature Reserve by the Canvey Island Town Council to protect its wildlife and improve site standards. Cockayne said the lake was “dead” and it was “absolutely unacceptable”, adding: “You’ve got not a lot of birds on it and just several floating in it dead.”
“dead”
“absolutely unacceptable”
“You’ve got not a lot of birds on it and just several floating in it dead.”
In July 2025, testing found Canvey Lake contained 2.5 million cells of blue-green algae per millilitre, more than 100 times the warning threshold of 20,000 cells. The findings led Canvey Island Town Council to surrender its lease of the lake to Castle Point Borough Council.
Blue-green algae, also known as cynobacteria, produces a layer of scum that sits on the water and is toxic to wildlife. Other wildlife have also perished in recent weeks, Cockayne said.
In June, the borough council allocated £500,000 to restoring the lake, external.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said the lake was managed by Castle Point Borough Council and that the agency was supporting the authority in responding to the issues.
Castle Point Borough Council said it was “very saddened” by the loss of the swans and recognised the impact the deaths would have on residents. The authority said recent testing had confirmed the presence of blue-green algae, a naturally occurring phenomenon that can develop in still water during prolonged periods of hot weather and which can be harmful to wildlife.
The council added that similar problems, including algal blooms and impacts on wildlife, had been reported in lakes and other standing bodies of water across the region during the recent heatwave and drought conditions. It said plans for major restoration works at the lake were continuing, backed by £1m of funding.
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