None of the broads along this section of coast, situated between reedbeds, woodland and heathlands that separate the villages of Kessingland, Wrentham and Southwold, are true broads. They are distinguished from the Norfolk broads by the fact that these were created through peat cutting in the Middle Ages, whereas the Benacre broads, for instance, are lakes formed in shallow valleys when glacial drift blocked the outflow to the sea. Over 100 species of breeding birds, including marsh harrier, bearded reedling, water rail, and occasionally bittern, can be seen here. The flora includes sea kale, sea holly >
Link and yellow-horned poppy >
Link. The broad is separated from the North Sea by a causeway of sand and shingle.
The broad is adjoined by the Benacre National Nature Reserve which is considered an important wildlife site because of its bird population, its coastal broads and its range of rare habitats. There is an ancient woodland at Holly Grove, and in the Easton valley, to the south, there is the second largest reedbed in England. Little tern and avocets, often in the company of oystercatchers and ringed plovers, nest on the shingle beaches. In the heathlands woodlarks and sometimes wheatear and hobby can be seen. The broad also supports a large numbers of waders, which feed on the masses of invertebrates living within the exposed mud. Species such as redshanks, greenshanks, godwits, dunlin and common sandpipers occur each year and larger waders such as spoonbill and little egret are becoming more regular summer visitors. In spring wild daffodils can be seen growing in the area and there is a (declining) population of greater broomrape, and on the northern dune rare grey hair grass and local sheep-bit can be found. The reedbed is home to the very rare white-mantled wainscot moth, which was considered extinct in Britain for nearly 100 years until it was rediscovered on this site. There are also plenty of butterflies, including the recently discovered brown argus. Lagoon sand shrimp and starlet sea anemone populate the saline lagoons.