Guides
Ten UK dives you might just manage
I wrote this article following on from the social media lists of 'must do' dives, I hope you enjoy reading it and look forward to your feedback on your favourite UK dives!
Recommended suppliers
Latest Photographs
A close up of some 100 year old teak decking, in the shelter this decking has lasted remarkably well and is still 'tough' and not at all spongey and falling apart.
A male Cuckoo Wrasse (Labrus bimaculatus), this one was very interested in what I was about.
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!
A shaggy mouse slug, or sea mouse or more accurately Aeolidia papillosa, this one was spotted quite early in the season.
A shoal of immature Bib (Trisopterus luscus) this shoal was always around a particular large rock on the site, not sure why, guess that there is a subtle current split or join?
Until we were lens to nose, so to speak!
A 'scaling shot' of the largest diameter section, you can only see the top of this pieces poking out from the sand
All polished
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!
Back quarter shot all done and pre-mounting.
A young and undecorated Decorator Crab, or technically a Long Legged Spider Crab (Macropodia rostrata) loads of em on SS Glanmire on weekend on 1st April.
Skylights rather than portholes but it would be nice.....wouldn't it!?!
Wreckage from SS Mistley, in this case from near the stern. This structure was only eally 'thrown up' after storms a couple of winters ago!
A very large, well the largest that I have ever seen Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), side on you can see how she has 'dimpled up' to look like the short weed on the rock. She was unwilling to move and I didn't want to 'provoke' her but her arms were massive and curled under her and down the other side of the stone. A very impressive site and it made the week!
Lost fishing line, sometimes obvious, other times not so. Always take some cutting gear and never try to snap braid using fingers or hands!
Various small fish hovering about near the broken up sea-weed
You get two colours of Plumose Anemone (Metridium senile) white and orange, both look like cold willies when closed up but very pretty when open and feeding!
Another genus Crispea nudibranch, not the best of images and one of the reasons why I decided to fit optical patches to my mask!
Lucy from 'Natural England' she was doing a recce and spent most of the dives picking up samples of weed.
Looking from the 'end' of the first reef out to sea. There is a band of sand then another line of rocks and reef
On one particular stone there were loads of Candy striped flatworms (Prostheceraeus vittatus), not sure why as adjacent areas were devoid.
A very large, well the largest that I have ever seen Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), eyes down!
A side view of the 'vertical' boiler, the boilers were well made and still intact, unlike those of SS Coryton at Ross Sands where you can swim inside to get nice atmospheric shots
This dive I headed to the stern and this is the port side rudder
Oh and of course our old friend the blue fiend or common lobster (Hommarus gammarus) loads live ion the rough ground but mainly smaller 'wiggies'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
