Northern Promise (2) - 18/08/2017

In our messaging group the Kingmaker and I had offered Midge & Miss Hayes something a little bit special for our second day of diving. However, Miss Hayes with one eye on the rather miserable looking weather and probably the slightly sinister look of the Kingmaker decided that diving wasn't for her today and rocketed off her an old friend who lives in the area.

They were excited, their campsite had afforded them stunning views of Loch Leven and the drive through Glencoe had tipped their scenery sensors into overload. The Kingmaker and I knew our first choice of the Kentallen Wall was going be a winner....once the weather cleared up.

We waited, sipping tea, for the stair rod rain to stop in the Holly Tree Hotel. When it did we moved fast. So fast, in fact, that I forgot to fasten my crotch strap on my wing. Once corrected the Kingmaker threw the navigational responsibilities my way, absolving himself of any blame should the dive end up a disaster. I'll tell you now, I nailed the navigation bringing us along underwater right back to the slip. I took the plaudits.

The dive itself was great. There were loads of cuckoo wrasse and scallops all set against the back drop of the submerged Great Glen Fault. The visibility was cracking - easily exceeding 10m - but it was on the return that I really made the dive by spotting thornback ray nestling in the sand. I had been redeemed. Where I failed at Drishaig I had succeeded today.

I emerged from the water a hero.

Our second dive at the Slates was never going to be as good, but even the depth adverse Midge was starting to get a taste for it popping down to 34m and spotting scorpion fish. We had him. 

He'll be back to Scotland - he promised....

Kentallen Wall

Northern Promise (1) - 17/08/2017

When I suggest to Midge (a diver that the Kingmaker and I met on our last trip to Egypt) that he comes to Scotland to dive I promised a number of things that he'd be able to do, dive and see.

When anyone comes to visit me in Scotland I want them to leave with a good impression. I'm proud of where I'm from. As such I gave Midge some options. He and Miss Hayes (his carer on his first adventure north of Glasgow) chose Anchor Point and Drishaig Reef for day one. Anchor Point was chosen because it is a scenic wall dive and Drishaig Reef because of the firework anemones and potential to see thornback rays.

The weather was always going to be mixed but the dry spells held out long enough for us to have a good time.

We kitted up at Anchor Point with both my Anglo companions already in awe of the scenery at the surface. Impressing them was going to be easy. :)

As we went down Miss Hayes seemed to be having a problem with her BCD, with Midge unable to fix a problem that I'd already noticed, I quickly sorted it. I think it helped her trust me as a guide. After all, she hadn't ever met me before and I could tell they were concerned about depth being that most of their UK shore dives were about 6m.

We went down and I instantly spotted two conger eels (something that was on Midge's list of wanna sees) and a large strawberry deeplet anemone. We pottered about looking at the array sea stars that were on show. We surfaced yards from our entry point. From then on they were hooked on Scottish shore diving.

Our second dive took us across to Drishaig Reef where I guaranteed them the opportunity to see firework anemones  and the potential of thornback rays. Sadly I failed on the thornback ray front....today.

I left them to head north to their campsite while I raced back to Glasgow to get our tanks refilled for day two.

Midge enjoys the view

Tropical Reefs - 09/08/2017

With the weather staying nice I took the decisive decision to take a day of work. I was happy about this as it meant I was going to get a long lie, didn't have to go to work and could also enjoy a slightly further afield dive site.

Jester, Jim and I all decided on Triple Reef. We were delayed in our start due to technical issues, so we limited ourselves to one nice long dive.

We followed the traditional guide route as I did last time and found ourselves floating around each of the three 'reefs'. It was nice with plenty of anemones ans sunstars to keep us all entertained.

As we surfaced, we popped up 20m from the entry, which increased the length of our our stagger back to the cars. 

It completed a great four days of diving.

Dahlia Anemone

Daisy Anemone

Common Sunstar

Northern Sunstar

Smoke On The Water... -08/08/2017

Fire in the sky

As everyone knows when there's smoke on the water, there's fire in the sky. Tuesday was no exception as Jester, the Announcer joined me and some member of my dive club diving at St Cats, Loch Fyne.

For Jester and I it represented out third straight day diving. Tonight, to compensate for the moisture build up in our drysuits from not being able to dry them properly we were having a BBQ and a bonfire - the latter to be tended faithfully by the Jesterlings while papa bear went in for a couple of dives.

The weather had turned (for the better) and our only real fear were midgies. However, the bonfire would ensure that even they stayed away.

We kitted up, buddy checked and then descended. Almost immediately the Announcer and I saw what we think was a young, female John Dory, but I wasn't quick enough with the camera. As it was the Announcer was having some ear troubles so I spent the rest of the dive with one eye on her making sure that nothing went wrong.

Our second dive which took place after the above sunset was going to be a short one with Jester making do with the air in the remainder of his tank (with a pony for backup). However, it was nice to diving again in the inky blackness of night. On our way back up we both killed our torches and waved our hands firing up the sparkle of bioluminescence. 

Cofeve - 07/08/2017

It may sound like something that something that US President Donald Trump would tweet but one of the joys of Anchor Point, Loch Fyne is that it is home to Cuthona caerulea - one of Scotland's more colourful nudibranchs with its vibrant blue and yellow frons.

This evening Jester, Jim and I headed out to find Cuthona amongst other things. There was a little doubt about how the weather hold up and if it did if the midgies would strike. As it was the weather was glorious. To such an extent that even the jellyfish has opted to sunbathe after high tide.

We kitted up, thankful for the a small breeze keeping the evening midgies at bay and buddy checked in the water before dropping down.

We headed straight to the bottom of the wall and began working our way back up in a fairly brisk current. It made taking photographs fairly challenging, but as always Anchor Point proved to be bountiful. First in terms of bloody henrys and cushion stars then as we hit the nudibranch sweet spot I spotted Eubranchus Farrani before bumping into a nice gully complete with dahlia anemone and Cuthona Caerulea. I was pleased. This was thew first time I'd spotted CC without buddy assistance.

We continued and eventually surfaced through a maze of lion's mane jellyfish tentacles. It was a nice dive. Now is good time to grab a cup of cofeve and head to a Scottish sea loch.

Cushion star

Eubranchus farrani

Bloody Henry

Deeplet anemone

Cuthona caerulea

The Quadrocentenarian - 06/08/2017

My own 400th dive took place with little fanfare - it was a pretty unimpressive dive with little to talk about. The Mermaid, however, had gathered quite a troop on top of those already visiting the A-Frames. 

Due to the weather (and the site) I had only wanted to do one dive on arrival and so most of the gang went for a splash and emerged with news of highland dancers and good visibility. Buoyed, I kitted up preparing to dive with the Mermaid on what would be her 400th dive.

Now, I suppose, it shouldn't have been a great dive. At best it should have been an average dive, but Poseidon himself was smiling as the Mermaid joined the 400 club. The visibility at site was easily around 6m and the water was tail end of summer warm at around 13c.

This drew forth life and, as had been noticed by Jester on an earlier dive, highland dancers - a nudibranch that neither of us have seen in a while. 

The Mermaid had a whale of a time (sans cetaceans) and emerged a quadrocentenarian and what's more, she only fell over once. She might be getting used to this diving malarky.

The Squad and Did's Death Box

 

400

Closed anemone

Pink spotted sea cucumber

Highland Dancer

Conger

Emerging Quadrocentenarian