Duo-Divers

A grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) the reason loads of divers visit the islands, against a back drop of The Hopper

A Green shore crab (Carcinus maenas) this one was busy digging a hole, there must have been something down there.

After the 'engine bits' there is an area where it's like a giant meccano kit, protruding maybe 4ft out of the sand.

Closer still and you can see the layout of the boat with the boiler towards stern of the vessel and some planks clinging to the bows

Drop in from Black Rock, swim North and the bottom starts off as fist size cobbles with occasional large boulders which are swathed in kelp.

Dropping to the bottom about eighty meters from the cliff face and you are faced with a bottom comprising of boulders with coarse sand between them, the boulders vary in size from the size of cars to maybe a meter cubed.

A view over the broken 'bottom' with a random diver. At times the site does resemble diver soup usually when prevailing conditions are poor limiting access to other areas or when the seals are in residence.

Dropping into the main gully one of the first things that you notice is the rust stained sand, then larger 'lumps' and as you head inshore the gully tightens to an end and you have sections of the steel rubbing strip and what is now apparently the bows of the ship.

A very scenic dip with dead mans fingers (Alcyonium digitatum) covering hard rock with boulders in some of the larger gullies.

It's been part polished now but this nameplate for the Boatswains Cabin was taken from SS Abessinia on Knifestone at the Farne Islands. There must be hundreds or perhaps thousands of dives per year and you can still, on occasion, pick up something 'nice'.

I know the location of a porthole which is currently covered, when the next storm removes the cover I will be there with my tools and implements!

I do get carried away with Starfish photographs, in this case a Common Starfish (Asterias rubens), mainly because you can get damned close for macro shots of all the parts!

The same guys swimming through a line of structure, torches just 'pin-pricks' in the gloom!

If you want to head into the wreck this is one of the access points!

More dulse covered iron-work, this time a Ballan Wrasse is heading off at a rate of knots!

Sea Hare (aplysia punctata) you get loads and loads of them on the south side of the point feeding and breeding!

An immature or small Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) this one had the markings around the edge but the lines on the mantle were not yet 'obvious'

Common edible and tasty lobster (homarus gammarus) the area is home to a multitude of them!

You will find this particular sponge all over 'shallow' sites around the Northumbrian coast, not being an expert I can only guess that it is Stelletta lactea and if someone wishes to correct me then great!

A lions Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) moving past with the prevailing tide, the long stingers on these beggars can be 3m long and be left on shot ropes sooooo, dont approach them without caustion and wear gloves!

Wreckage from SS Loch Leven which foundered without the loss of life, not an oft dived site but very nice scenery plus rust!

A more conventionally coloured Bloody Henry (Henerica oculata)