DORSET’S Jurassic Coast will be shown off to the nation in a programme for the BBC’s Countryfile show today.

Presenters Adam Henson and Ellie Harrison visited the county to explore the spectacular coastline which holds the secrets to what life was like millions of years ago.

Adam Henson enjoyed a kayak tour out of Lulworth and a fossil hunt in West Dorset before heading to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy where he met Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie at the Sail for Gold regatta.

Meanwhile, Ellie Harrison joined conservationists on a dive at Studland Bay searching for seahorses.

The Dorset and East Devon coastline joined the likes of the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef when it gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2001.

The 95-mile stretch of coast covers 185 million years of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

The best way to see the coast is from the water, so Adam Henson joined a kayak expedition through caves and arches, including Durdle Door, courtesy of Jurassic Kayak Tours, an offshoot of the Weymouth-based Second Wind Watersports.

Owner Terry Sallows explained how he and Adam Henson were in one kayak and instructor Paul Burrows was in another. The camera crew were on board the Weymouth Charters boat Sirius.

Mr Sallows said: “They spent most of the day with us. It was a near perfect day and we had a good session exploring the coast.

“Adam loved it. He’s a strong guy and was a good paddler.”

Mr Sallows said the presenter later added his signature to the wall in the kayak office at Lulworth Cove, joining the likes of Jack Dee, Bob Hoskins and Kevin Spacey.

It is not the first time Jurassic Kayak Tours will be featured on television. It has been profiled on the BBC’s Country Tracks programme, Waterworks on Meridian and River Cottage for Channel 4.

Mr Sallows said: “The fact that our coast is now a World Heritage Site means a lot of people want to come and see what it’s about. It’s been a huge boost for the area.”

Countryfile is on BBC1 at 6.30pm today.