Duo-Divers

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.

A common Hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus), this one was far too small for the shell in which he had set up shop!

A bit of a view from the wall out, you can see the bloody lobster pot string and maybe see that the topography at this point is 'saw tooth' even though the height change is less than one meter.

The ships were built for speed, with plates rivetted together, the rivets will have been made from a softer material with less cobalt/manganese so have rotted away leaving rows of holes and allowing the paltes to start slipping.

All turned and time to polish!

Pretty sure that this is a Shanny (Lipophrys phalis) that had set up shop in the cut off end of the pier hand rail. This 'dries out' at low water so either the hole has water inside or the fish darts out and waits until the tide comes up again!

And closer.......

D - In the end the woodshop on the Duke of Northumberlands estate did the honour

Another topographical shot, stacked, shelfed rock going into a small gully.

A lebgth of conveyor belt, maybe used originally for lifting crushed stone from the quarry?

A colour shot of another breech assembly

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 Dhalia anemone (Urticina felina) there are loads on the site but most are in the cracks and fissures

These fry were hiding close to the surface, I think that they were baby cod (Gadus mordua) but at that size all I can say is that they were of that genus!

Everywhere that you look the bottom isn't bedrock, it is formed from sections of ship.

Arty-farty shot of a pinnacle

Just a scenic showing the vis on this particular dive, it was around the 10m mark, probably a tad better.

The reel/rod feet were a bit of a chew, I tried to machine the brass to take a couple of M3 cheesehead screws but that wasn't 'right' so ended up brazing on the feet and then 'back filling' the machined holes for that little bit extra strength

A view of the business end of an Angler-fish (Lophius piscatorious) there are loads about the sites and once you've spotted one they become easier to see.

The rocks, which are a soft 'holey' shale are coated in a pretty pink coralline growth

The seal eventually lay on the bottom and wanted to have its photo taken.....

You will certainly get a few chances for 'davit' shots on the wreck, with lots pointing inboard which shows that lifeboats weren't launched in the minutes before she sank, hence the large loss of life.