Duo-Divers

I dropped into one particular sump in the rock and it was crawling with Flounder (Platicthys flesus) I got one photograph but they were zooming around like irate flying saucers but never left the sump.

Looking up the sheer 'south' side of the wall, smothered in filter feeders and with plenty of fish in residence.

Only one in this shot but I ended up making two reels....

Lobsters (Hommarus gammarus) in a pot, I think that these will be put back as they are 'borderline'.

Following questions to experts they are all agreed that it was a 'porpoise' with the natural history museum going a bit further and saying 'probably' a harbour porpoise.

A plate from Yewglen and its got my name on it! That said I think that it is probably a plate for a MacGregor patent hatch cover.

On the West side of the site, towards the North end. It looks ideal for scallops but no sign of any or indeed empty predated shells.

A typical north east wreck dive, plates, boilers n bits. In this case probably Jan Van Ryswyck although a few vessels have foundered so the bits are somehwhat mixed!

Looking towards Dell Point, not sure that you can clearly see the tosheroon in the watery winter sunshine

Scenic stuff with light coming through the hull where the plates have gone and we are left with ribs and bits only

An Atlantic Cod (Gaulus mortua) this one was not hiding in a hole or crevice

Typical geology, the surfaces are covered in Dead mans fingers (Alcyonium digitatum), the bottom being small vertical faces, rocks and large boulders....all very scenic and pretty in good vis!

Heading down the boulder slope for the starting point, good vis but don't go straight to the bottom, you will go round and round in a pit!

I also like Hermit Crabs (Pagurus bernhardus) and try to get a photo of them wherever I dive!

A Topknot (Zeugopterus punctatus) you will see these flatfish stuck onto the bottom and underside of crevices if you look carefully on dives over rocky ground. The skin is coarse so you can easily get hold of this docile fish and bag him for tea, should you wish. A word of warning they tend to be infested with worms!

A Hermit Crab (Pagurus bernhardus) had set up shop in an old whelk shell, te problem was that it was far to small and spent most of the time looking out of a hole half way down the shell!

Sponges tend to have colonised kelp by late in the season, I think that this particular sponge is Stelletta lactea but I could be wrong.

A typical north east wreck dive, plates, boilers n bits. In this case probably Jan Van Ryswyck although a few vessels have foundered so the bits are somehwhat mixed!

Arty-farty shot of a Velvet Swimming Crab (Necora puber)

Part of the anchor assembly that is concreted into the sea-bed, you can see the anchor behind the main, round, rusty bit

Bollards! I don't know if these are solid, I suspect not but they are one of the parts of the wreck that can be positively identified.

This is the 'type' of bottom which I was talking about, formed from loads of worm tubes, it's quite soft and sandy so can feel crunchy if your buoyancy control is poor.