Prima Seal - 26/03/2019

There is something enormously satisfying when a training dive with a trainee you give a brief and it all goes to plan, even down to the last detail. Tonight was one such night.

I briefed about the site (Conger Alley), the activities (an assisted ascent), and what we'd be likely to see. Now, I mentioned a seal, not because I thought it would happen but because I wanted him to be prepared if it did.

We entered the water, went down and undertook the drill exactly as planned. Then, once we had reset and checked our air, headed for a wee paddle round the reef.

I was showing him nudibranchs when I felt it - the gentle push and pull of a large animal swimming by. I stopped taking pictures and waited. Then she passed again. I could see my trainee was excited and delighted rather than fearful. However, from then on in I watched him like a hawk to make sure he never went rapidly to the surface.

He emerged buzzing and happy.

Nudi

Firework Anemone

The Dive That Never Happened - 18/03/2016

As we often say, "if you didn't get photograph it never happened", but there are other proofs.

Jester's 199th dive at Conger Alley was memorable without any photographs. I had left my camera at home and Jester's GoPro decided to shut up shop just when things kicked off.

It started well enough - bloody Henry, catshark, firework anemone - then we weren't alone.

Now Jester keeps a reasonable distance underwater - for sake of argument about two metres. However, after Beryl's first pass I felt like I was diving up the aisle arm and arm with my buddy. Jester was like a limpit. Not surprising, everyone's first date with Beryl the Seal is a little fraught.

Of course, with no photographs, it never happened....

End Of Season Seal - 04/02/2015

Seal Sighting

Some people, myself included, like to visit the Farne Islands to play with the seals. Typically, this costs between £35 and £50 to dive with a proliferation of relatively diver friendly seals during the day. However, it never quite compares with the thrill of meeting Loch Long's Beryl at night for free, while she hunts. It is, in diving terms, a genuine bargain.

With the light nights and the start of British Summer Time fast approaching, the Announcer was very keen to sneak in a dive before the night diving season ends for the summer. So, tonight (as you'll have guessed the Announcer and I headed up to Loch Long for a dive at the A-Frames. 

After my experience on Monday I didn't have much hope for good visibility. As I descended I knew instantly that the vis was pretty rubbish, but as I slipped below 6m I could see it clearing up. Then I noticed silt puffs. It was then when I realised that the Announcer and I weren't alone.

I led us down towards the big frame where all seal-hell broke loose!

She stayed with us for the rest of the dive. We saw little else. Sadly my camera isn't equipped to take fast moving photos of Beryl at night, but I managed to snatch a few video clips of her fly-bys.

Beryl bait

Planning Is Everything, Plans Are Nothing - 06/11/2014

I think it was Eisenhower who once said "plans are nothing, planning is everything". It is a saying that has stuck with me for some time. Today was one of those days when it really came home to roost. The original had been for the Zookeeper and I to do a deep dive at Conger Alley, then a shallower fun dive with Clan Mcletchie (of the Frocktasia Blog notoriety) at Twin Piers. Well, personal circumstances scratched Clan Mcletchie off the plan, then weather warnings and torrential rain dampened our desire to do two dives.

In the end we still headed to Conger Alley, Loch Long to do our deep dive, but as we began our dive our plans were to change again as an ominous shadow passed through the furthest reaches of our torch beams. It seemed a large seal (possibly Beryl) was going to be buzzing us for the duration of the dive. 

Instead, our plans changed again. The deep dive went out the window and we were going to watch out for the seal as it used our torches to hunt. Of course, her presence meant there was little life to photograph.

The seal had a number of near passes including one through the legs of the Zookeeper. The video below is the only footage I managed to get. After a while she left us to enjoy the remainder of dive at which point some of the other life emerged including:

• Conger eels
• Lobster
• Edible crabs
• Wrasse

Turns out Eisenhower was right.

Edible Crab

Peek-a-boo Conger

Plumose Anemone

Wrasse

So Much Nature Part 3 - 27/03/2014

So with the arrival of Evolution Divers we vacated St Catherines (see part 1 and part 2) prime parking spot and headed over to dive Loch Long. We were deciding between the Twin Piers, which we'd drive right past or the Caves where Laura had previously lost a bag that we were going to look for. The Caves won.

We quickly kitted up, buddy checked and headed down to the water where a seal, probably Beryl, was waiting patiently for us. We entered the water and it quickly became clear that we were diving as a buddy three as Beryl swooped between our legs, crashing into us chasing fish and any other critter that came into view. A few wrasse dodged under rocks. Bottoming out at 22m, we probably had the best seal action at around 10m.

Aside from Beryl, sea life was at a premium. By way of contrast, thanks to Beryl, silt was not.

By the end of the second dive both Laura and myself were exhausted largely due to 'so much nature'.

Dahlia Anemone

Beryl

Laura filming Beryl

Bicentennial Woman - 13/02/2014

Tonight was Laura's 200th logged dive. To celebrate myself, Laura, Andrea, Fast Ed, Pat G and Sergeant Chris all left Glasgow a little earlier to do two dives at the A-Frames. As regular readers will know you can expect to see:

• Peacock worms
• Scorpion fish
• Pipe fish
• Wrasse
• Cod
• Lobsters 
• Crabs

Leading the dive down to the large frame at around 20m, I decided to make a trip along the other frames. I've rarely done this, instead we prefer to spend my time at around 10-15m were most of the life is, but tonight was to be different.

Once at frame 2 we were joined by a 7th celebrating diver - Beryl the Seal!! Now, I've never seen her this far down the loch, so it was a pleasant surprise for Laura's 200th. Amongst the group neither Pat, Andrea or Chris had ever encountered Bezza ( I feel I can call her that as we've gotten so close over the last few weeks). I'm told Andrea screamed upon seeing her in the water, though I never heard her. I did see her frantic torch flashing however.

Laura and I immediately executed Plan Beryl - ascend to 15m to conserve air and prolong the seal encounter - which was done with military precision much to the delight of Sergeant Chris. What followed were a number of very pleasant interactions with our big pal.

After the dive Andrea had to get home for an early start and Laura had a leaking drysuit so decided to call it quits, but the boys all agreed that it would be nice to go in, repeat the same dive, hoping for more seal action, but it was not to be. In fact, the best bit of life I found was a large scallop.

In short, this dynamite little night diving session with its unusual seal encounter will live long in the memory and was a fitting marker for Laura's 200th logged dive.

Peacock worms

Peacock worms

Beryl

Scallop

Sea loch anemones

Peacock worms

Saturday Night Dive Fever - 8/2/2013

With credits to Laura for today's blog title, this Saturday saw us do a day dive at Conger Alley, BBQ and then a night dive at Twin Piers. We had quite an ensemble cast: me, Laura, Fast Ed, Avril, Marba, Pat G and big Alan J.

For those unaware, Twin Piers and Conger are separated by just a few hundreds and are walkable fully kitted. Today we wondered if it was also possible to do it as a swimming safety stop, but in the end we opted to just dive them separately.

Kitting up at Conger first we headed in and descended to the bottom of the reef. I logged 31.0m (my second deepest dive ever) before heading back up reef towards Monty, the resident conger that Laura, Avril and I photographed the previous week.

In order to satiate Ed and Laura's desire for underwater conger carnage, I whipped out my knife and cracked open a horse muscle in order to lure the conger out. However, it got caught in some anemones and I lacked the courage to use my fingers to move it closer to Monty's lair. It wouldn't have mattered too much regardless as I'd have been unable photograph the experience as I'd left my camera in the car.

Between dives we moved the cars down the road to Twin Piers and we set up for a BBQ in the pouring rain. Despite my initial internalised pessimism it was actually pretty successful. I had a tasty roll and sausage and a fairly meaty cheeseburger. In fact, I consumed so much that I was able to drop a couple of kilos off my weight belt. Special shout out to Avril for her BBQing efforts and to Laura and Marba for pretending to help.

On the second dive (night) the divergence of dive experience varied considerably among the group but most of us had a great encounter with an inquisitive Beryl the Seal, though little else in terms of sea life as is the case when she's about. I took my camera in and for the first time managed to get a photo of her. 

Edible crab

Sea urchin

Beryl the Seal

Anemones and urchins

Baby scorpion fish

Just Another Dive :/

So after exploring Conger Alley on Sunday we visited again at night (23^rd January), hoping for more conger eel action than we had last time.

Myself, Laura & Fast Eddie followed the same route, rapidly descending through the thermocline and down to about 24m on the reef. I should point out that Laura was test driving a new undersuit. Upon arrival at the reef I instantly spotted Beryl the Seal who frequents these parts, though it seems I failed to communicate this with my two buddies who all thought I was asking them if they were OK.

Now, seals in general are pretty friendly and Beryl herself has been known to ‘assist’ divers on a safety stop to the surface. However, I challenge anyone who has never encountered a six foot long seal in the dark not burn through their air supply pretty darn quick.  With this in mind I led our merry band up to around 15m to allow for a longer a seal encounter.  Once there, the fun began!

Fast Eddie (who has never encountered a seal at anytime) caught his first glimpse at this point. I know this because his torch turned into an excited searchlight. Fortunately, I had briefed him beforehand. The briefing went as follows:

• If the viz all of a sudden goes to pot there is a seal in the water
• Beryl is fast, you’ll catch a glimpse of her and think ‘what the hell was that’
• Beryl is big, about the same size as you
• You’re drysuit may not remain dry

Turning my attention to Laura who was prevented from dumping air from her drysuit by her new undersuit,  and was signalling she had a problem and 100 bar in between grabbing rocks. Being the gentleman buddy I am, I dumped all the air I could from my suit and BCD to make myself negatively buoyant and offered my hand to keep Laura from champagne corking to the surface.

Heading home at pace, Fast Eddie realised, as I struggled to keep Laura down, Laura’s rock collecting wasn’t a geological survey and grabbed her by the straps on the other side. Beryl’s curiosity however became more intense and she used the opportunity to make a number of very close passes including one between Laura’s flailing legs. Suffice to say we all made it quite safely to the surface.

The highlight of my evening was at the surface when the conversation went like this:

Fast Eddie: You weren’t kidding about the size of Beryl.
Me: No.

All in all just another dive in Posiedon’s Parlour