Duo-Divers

A rather bedraggled Sqaut Lobster (Galathea squamifera) sitting within a Dead-mans finger (Alcyonium digitatum) this one had no claws hence it had lost it's hole and was hiding away in a filter feeder, judging by it's general appearance and barnacle covered carapice I would think, not long of this world.

A very large, well the largest that I have ever seen Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), eyes down!

If the skipper 'drops a goolie' and puts you in 'off' the guns then finding them in this kelp can be challenging to say the least

Starting near the stern, this is the top of the steering assembly and the guy here is thinking 'how do I get in?'

On one particular stone there were loads of Candy striped flatworms (Prostheceraeus vittatus), not sure why as adjacent areas were devoid.

Another 'arty-farty' this time in black and white to try and go all atmospheric

A Pogge (Agonus cataphractus) or is that Hook-nose or Armoured Bullhead, these are a relativeliy common critter but with their camouflage you tend to see their pearly white barbules before anything else.

Another 'I think' and I think that this is a Long-legged Spider Crab (Macropodia rostrata), there were a few, quite high in the water column drifting down on the strong current. I guess that they were 'high' on a stone and simply let go rather than hang on in an increasing current.

Winter 2019 and a young pup that went the wrong direction and hauled out at Beadnell Haven, not an issue in these enlightened times but twenty years ago it would have been one foot of a fluffy pair of slippers!

This one has only recently been 'ditched' by it's mother so is learning to fend for itself and looking around for some space and food!

In some areas the broken bottom comprises of large stones covered in life, strange that there is a centre section almost devoid of filters feeders.....

Again, great vis as you can see with two divers among the ribs and spars

A King....or Common....or Great Scallop (Pecten maximus), they were even sitting on hard rock!

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

A Long Legged Spider Crab (Macropodia rostrata) there are loads on all or most sites, this is the most common 'camouflage'.

The top of the Point is battered with wave and tide which makes it attractive for filter feeders such as barnacles which are securely anchored but weeds, well it is difficult but there are plenty of the 'bootlace' weeds which I guess are ideally shaped to apply minimal forces to the roots.

A Northern Prawn (Padalus borealis) sitting on a Dead-mans finger (Alcyonium digitatum), when you slow down and l-o-o-k there are loads of these prawns all over the sites.

Back in the day we refered to this as 'scrattings' where lobsters (Homarus gammarus) scraped sand from there hidey holes, you could tell that they were in residence due to the large amount of dirty sand excavated from their summer homes!

Arty-farty shot of a pinnacle

The wheels? Well oak obviously but I set in a rim of lead sheet recovered from the sea of course!

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.

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.

The rock face on 'The Hopper', its a straight drop into about 18m of water, with little or no weed, only a little kelp near the top of the face and then some filter feeders lower down. A lovely little site!

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