Snorkelling at John Pennekamp Coral State Park

Well it only took nine months, but we finally sorted ourselves out for long enough to take a snorkelling trip off the Florida Keyes and it was beautiful!

John Pennekamp park at Key Largo

We booked a trip with a tour operator in the John Pennekamp Coral State Park and headed about five miles offshore to the Key Largo Dry Rocks reef where we were treated to an awesome array of fish (as well as a sadly not-photographed 2 m-long nurse shark!) and a beautiful reef of corals and a TON of soft corals (like seafans and black corals).

There were a TON of soft corals forming the reef

The reef at Key Largo Dry Rocks

Seafans everywhere!

Oh aye - Jesus was there too! This is a bronze statue called "Christ of the Abyss" and it sits at around 6 m depth just off the reef. Apparently it was placed there in 1965 and has been gradually accumulating marine life ever since. It's also become a tradition for snorkelers and divers to touch the statue's hands.

Christ of the Abyss at Key Largo Dry Rocks

 

Dive Guide: 5th Layby on the Left (Loch Creran)

Site Summary

I don’t know if this site has a real name, but this one is at least descriptive! From the one entrance point you have the choice of diving one of three shallow rocky reefs, all of which are at depths of around 3m - 25m. The off-reef areas are ideal for training on a sandy seafloor, but the real attractions here are the serpulid worms which form beautiful, fragile reefs with their calcareous tubes. For some reason (no-one knows why), this loch is the only site in the world where these worms form large reefs like this and they are well worth seeing.

Type: Shore dive (rocky reef / serpulid reefs)

Depth: 3m-25m 

Tides: None

Suitable for: All diver grades (but good buoyancy essential near serpulid reefs)

Getting there and getting in

From Google Maps. Click to enlarge.

5th Layby on the left site access.

To get to this site, drive north along the A828 towards Fort William, past the Sealife Centre, then turn left at the next roundabout and go under the bridge at the north of Loch Creran. From there (believe it or not!), it’s the 5th passing place on the left. There’s a large parking space there which can fit 4-5 cars. 

Site Access

From the parking bay,  you'll see a path and steps leading down to the shore. It can get a bit slippery underfoot when it's wet or icy so watch out, but basically you just walk straight down the beach and wade in!

Underwater

You have a couple of options for your dives at this site. See below for details. 

Approximate map of the 5th Layby dive site. Click to enlarge.

Once under the water, you have a few choices to make. 

Option 1: If you head straight out from the shore, you'll swim over a sandy seabed to a depth of around 6m where you'll find a small rocky reef. It slopes down quite steeply to a depth of around 10m and at some point someone has tried to build an artificial reef out of old tyres, so you should find those pretty easily. It's a pretty small area though, so you should see most of it within about 20-30 minutes depending on how thoroughly you explore!

Option 2: Keep the line of rocks on your left and follow them out into the water. As you drop down, you'll see a stretch of bedrock on your left which is covered in mussels and horse mussels. Then just keep this rock face on your left and follow it round to about 12-15m. At that point, you'll come to a bend in the rock and you have two more choices: Either follow the rock round to the left a little then double-back over the top of the bedrock slope (option 2a), or head to the right and explore the boulders further out (option 2b).

Option 2a: Head back up and over the bedrock to a depth of about 6m and then search around and you should find a large serpulid reef (approximately 1m high) which is well worth a look, as well as some smaller colonies. They are extremely fragile though, so do not touch them and do NOT swim over them! From there, continue onwards and you'll get back to your entry point.

Option 2b: This is a route I've only ever taken once, so I don't know it as well as the others. But, if you head out towards the right away from the bedrock slope, you'll find yourself in a boulder field which has some nice life on it. Just retrace your steps to get back or follow Option 2a.

Whichever option you choose, you may find you run into a bit of current once you get past the end of the bedrock slope, but it never gets very strong here and you can swim against it quite easily.

Recommended Equipment

Torch

What to See

The serpulid worm reefs are really the main attraction here, but there is a LOT of life on these reefs and they are lovely dives even if you miss the worms. There is a lot of encrusting life over the rock surfaces including plumose anemones, cup corals, Sagartiogeton sp., crabs, fan worms, soft corals and sponges. There’s not usually a lot in the way of fish life, although I’ve seen thornback rays here and quite a few pipefish. In the shallows there are large stands of Ascophylllum seaweeds and horse mussel beds to investigate too which usually have loads of little animals living in amongst them.

Visibility is usually fairly good, but varies a great deal depending on prevailing weather conditions and tide. If you dive here after a period of heavy rain and on an ebb tide the visibility can drop to almost nothing.

On the surface it's pretty common to see seals and otters here too so keep an eye out for those!

Serpulid worm reef at Loch Creran

Greater Pipefish

Close-up of a serpulid worm. The trumpet-shaped operculum is a defining character of this family of worms.

Looking for more? Check out the Dive Guides page!

Dive Guide: The Caves (Loch Long)

Site Summary

The Caves is a very cool little site in Loch Long which is essentially a steep slope of large boulders with the gaps between them forming 'caves' for marine life, and there are loads of big plumose anemones  and other filter feeding animals all over the rocks. There are quite a lot of fish around this area too though, which makes it a popular fishing spot so fishing line is unfortunately a danger here and carrying a knife or pair of shears is a must. 

Type: Shore dive (rocky reef)
Depth: 0m-33m
Tides: None
Suitable for: Experienced ocean divers+ Good buoyancy required.
Notable hazards: Fishing line (entanglement) / awkward entry & exit.

Getting there and getting in

From Google Maps. Click to enlarge.

There's space for 2 cars to park here, then it's a bit of a scramble down to the water's edge. 

The Caves dive site is about 2 miles south of Arrochar on the A814. There's a small parking place by the side of the road which has enough room for two cars or a minibus to park in, so space is pretty limited. It's a very popular site for sea anglers as well, and they tend to arrive early, so unless you get lucky it would be worthwhile having a Plan B just in case you can't get in here.

Site Access
From the parking place, you have two options to get down to the water's edge, but both are pretty awkward. The first option (1) is to scramble down through the culvert that runs under the road and down that way. The second (2) is to follow the little, narrow path that runs down to the shore from the other side of the bridge. Both options are steep and can be very slippery if it's been raining!

A lot of the shoreline along this part of the loch does look rather similar from the water, so it's definitely worth leaving a marker on the shore if you're not sure if you'll be able to find your way back to the right spot again to get out. The only way out is the way you went in (the rest of the shore here is too steep to climb) so you need to get back to where you started!

Underwater

Approximate underwater map of The Caves dive sites.

Underwater, the site is comprised largely of a steep boulder slope leading down in steps from the surface to a flat, muddy seabed at around 30m-33m depth. It's nice all the way down though, so you can just pick your depth. If you get a day with decent visibility though, there is a stunning view from the bottom of the reef looking back up it towards the surface!

The site is relatively easy to navigate - just keep the slope on your left as you head out and down, then work your way back keeping the slope on your right.

WARNING: There is a LOT of loose fishing tangled in the rocks here so a decent torch and a pair of line cutters are absolutely essential. I know a lot of people who've got snagged here before and it can be extremely dangerous.

Recommended Equipment
Torch (essential)
Line cutters (essential)
Glow stick / flag to mark exit point

Things to See
I've not been to this site in a while, but there used to be lots of fish here, including pollock and other white fish, and it was a good site for dragonets and gurnards too. There are loads of filter-feeding animals too which take advantage of the elevation from the rocks to feed in the current including big plumose anemones, dead-mens fingers and the ubiquitous (for Loch Long!) sealochs anemone. It's also a cool place to see some different starfish like the Bloody Henry

There are a LOT of filter feeders here, making this a beautiful scenic dive site. 

Looking for more? Check out the Dive Guides page!

Dive Guide: A-Frames (Loch Long)

Site Summary
This dive site is probably one of the most-used training sites on the west coast, and often becomes very busy at weekends when dive clubs or training centres descend on it from all around the country! The main attractions of the site are the 'A-frames' which are the concrete supports of an old (now very ruined) structure which provide an artificial reef habitat for quite a lot of marine life. Otherwise the site lies over a gently sloping silty, sandy seabed and is ideal for novices and diver training.

Type: Shore dive (rocky / manmade reef)
Depth: 3m-20m
Tides: None
Suitable for: All diver grades
Notable hazards: Currents can be fairly strong below 20-22m.

Getting there and getting in

From Google Maps. Click to enlarge.

There's a good big car park at the A-frames that will accommodate around 15 cars. It will fill up quickly on busy days though! 

The A-frames are found beside the Finnart Oil Terminal on the A814, about 2.5 miles north of Garelochead or 6.5 miles south of Arrochar. There's space to park several cars right beside the site entrance in a relatively large car park, which helps to keep everyone safely away from the main road!

Site Access

Access to the waters edge 

Access to the site is down a short, but narrow little path to the water's edge. It can be a little bit of a scramble though, so watch out. Since it's a single file path, it's polite to give priority to divers who are exiting the water before climbing down yourself. At high tide, the water comes all the way up to the wall, but you can expect a bit of a longer walk if it's low tide. Once you're there, just wade straight in!

Underwater

Approximate map of A-Frames dive site. Click to enlarge.

Once you're in the water, finding your way around is nice and straightforward and essentially requires you to just head straight out from the shore and you'll find plenty of debris and bits of concrete to investigate, including some long concrete 'pillars' which usually have quite a lot of life living underneath them.

Despite this being the one site I've probably dived more often than any other, I think I've only actually got to see the A-Frames themselves maybe a handful of times because I'm usually teaching trainees in shallow water! Still, if you want to find the main frame, it's easiest to use a compass.

Standing at the entrance point, take a bearing towards the white lighthouse on the far shore of the loch (which should be due north). Start your dive and follow your compass, but remember to use your pilotage skills as well (i.e. 'leapfrog' between closer targets that line up on your bearing) because the amount of waste metal amongst the debris can make your compass go a bit weird! 

Keep on that heading until you reach approximately 20m and then start searching around the area if need be until you find it. It is a pretty small target (maybe 5m square) but you should be able to find it ok! I have recently been informed that there are actually four 'A-frames' at this site, so if I manage to find them I'll get you an update.

NOTES: The oil terminal itself is still in use and boats are frequently moored up here. Don't dive past the fence!

The current can be strong here at depths below approximately 20m so watch out for that if you are planning a deeper dive. 

Recommended Equipment
Torch
Compass

Things to See
There is a reasonable amount of marine life to see at the A-frames if you're able to go and look for it, though I don't think there's anything particularly rare. There are always shrimp underneath the concrete pillars, and you can also usually see the occasional plumose anemone, dead man's fingers or peacock fan worms on the more elevated parts of the structures. There are loads of crabs and starfish and plenty of 'buckie' whelks as well which you might see mating or laying eggs if you go early in the year. On the A-frames themselves you'll see a lot more encrusting filter feeders like the soft corals and fan worms and it's definitely the highlight of the dive if you can find it!

Visibility here is extremely variable, largely due to the high numbers of divers who use the site at weekends.

Buckie whelks (Buccinum undatum) laying eggs (Nov 2012)

Velvet swimmer crab (Necora puber)

A variety of organisms colonise the concrete blocks around the site, particularly tunicates.

Hermit crab (Pandalus bernhardus)

Looking for more? Check out the Dive Guides page!

Dive Guide: Conger Alley (Loch Long)

Site Summary

Conger Alley is shore dive I've done a LOT over the years! It's made up of two rocky reefs over a gently sloping sandy seabed and there's usually a decent amount of marine life to see including conger eels if you're lucky. Situated near the north end of Loch Long, it's sheltered from a lot of bad weather by the surrounding hills and doesn't get much in the way of currents which makes it an ideal site for novices or diver training. 

Type: Shore dive (rocky reef)

Depth: 6m-30m 

Tides: None

Suitable for: All diver grades

Notable hazards: Traffic on A83

Getting there and getting in

From Google Maps. Click to enlarge.

If you don't park at the 'proper' parking place, you can fit 3-4 cars at the side of the road here in the mud. The site entrance is marked with the arrow.

Conger Alley sits right on the side of the A83, just 2.5 miles north of Arrochar. There's space to park several cars about 500m away in a large, tarmaced parking place, or if there aren't too many of you it's possible to park at the side of the road in the mud just beside the Goldberry Cottage B&B. It's a bit of a squeeze there though and you will be very close to the (very fast) main road.

WARNING! The traffic on this part of the A83 goes VERY fast as this stretch is one of the only good places to overtake for several miles. As such, cars are often travelling on the wrong side of the road so be careful! Lorries and heavy traffic are also a common feature.

Site Access

Access is very easy. The path is found directly opposite the white cottage on the side of the road.

Wherever you decide to park, there is a small pavement on the opposite side of the road where you can set up your kit and which will get you safely to the site itself. Access to the shore is via a small path directly opposite Goldberry Cottage B&B.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Hopkins.

It's a pretty good option when the weather's awful too since the A83 is usually open at least as far as Arrochar. 

The path can be a little slippery when it's wet, but it's in pretty good condition and once you're on the beach it's an easy walk to the water. Just follow the line of boulders and wade in.

Underwater

Approximate map of Conger Alley dive site. 

Once you're in the water, finding the reef is nice and straightforward. Heading out from the shore, head diagonally left away from the shore down until you get to around 10-15m water depth. At this point, don't go any deeper and continue along the slope for a few minutes until you reach the reef. It is a relatively long and boring swim over a fairly featureless sandy bottom, but as long as you're at the correct depth you will definitely reach the shallow reef.

TOP TIP: Watch out for sealochs anemones as you head towards the reef. The boulders at Conger Alley are covered in them, and you'll see them start to appear on the seabed as you get closer to the reef.

When you get to Conger Alley itself, you have the choice of two reefs to explore. I've never dived the 'deep' reef myself, but you'll find it by heading downslope from the 'shallow' reef to a depth of around 25-30m or so depending on the tide. I believe there are usually more conger eels at the deeper reef so if you're qualified and happy with the depth it might be worth a look.

Otherwise, you can carry on across the shallow reef. It's not particularly large, so it's perfectly possible to work your way across it two or three times as you gradually head shallower.

Recommended Equipment
Torch

Things to See

There is quite a lot of marine life to see at Conger Alley, including quite a few species fish (particularly ballan wrasse, conger eels and lots of leopard gobies) though you often need to get right down to the seabed and look under the rocks to see them. Sealochs anemones cover virtually every boulder surface and there are also a few sponges and the occasional plumose anemone as well as all the usual velvet swimmer, harbour, hermit and some large edible crabs. Cerianthids and green crabs are common over the sand.

Baby common starfish on a tunicate

Common starfish

Conger eels are usually spotted hiding well under the boulders. They can sometimes be coaxed a little way out by waving your torch in front of (not at) them, but keep your fingers to yourself!

Sealochs anemones are virtually everywhere! You'll start seeing them the closer you get to the reef. 

There's a lot of weed to plough through in the shallows if you miss the exit! 

Looking for more? Check out the Dive Guides page!

Porpoises on the Clyde

I read somewhere once that owning a RIB was basically the same as owning a large fibreglass hole in the ocean into which you throw money. I will add time to that as well, since our boat is pretty old and therefore in constant need of some sort of repair and because I know nothing about RIB maintenance that I haven't learned through tortuous trial-and-error. Some days, owning a RIB is an utter pain in the ass.

But then you get days like today and it all feels worthwhile.

Trail Island in the Clyde.

Today I took four experienced divers out onto the Clyde to explore around Trail Island by Little Cumbrae since it's not a site we've dived much before with the University club even though it's virtually on our doorstep. Unfortunately, issues with a dodgy neck kept me out of the water myself, but whatever - I still got to take my RIB out for a spin, so who cares!

I couldn't really ask for much more out of a Saturday afternoon! 

Anyway, I dropped the guys in for a thoroughly relaxed and uneventful dive along the cliff-face and then left them to it while I just enjoyed being back at sea (and doing a spot of high-speed driving practice because frankly if you've got a boat to yourself with a 90HP engine on the back it would be rude not to!). A short 45 minutes later, the divers came back happy but cold and with plenty of decent site information we can add to our list for the Uni club so we decided to call it a day and head back home for some lunch. And that's when it all got rather exciting.

Just as we were reached the channel between the two Cumbraes, I spotted a couple of porpoise near where we'd seen some earlier in the day and slowed down to approach them. Porpoise are usually shy and solitary creatures so I wasn't holding out much hope of getting very close, but I slowly trundled us towards the area they seemed to be congregating in anyway and stopped the boat.

Porpoise!

Within a couple of minutes it was obvious that we hadn't just found a couple of porpoise, and even more obvious that we must have stumbled into a feeding spot because we were suddenly surrounded by about 20 of them, all swimming actively and (strangely enough for porpoise) happily circling the boat! I've worked as a wildlife guide before in one of the UK's porpoise hotspots, but I've never seen as many as there were today and never so close! By the time I remembered I'd brought my camera, they'd been with us for a good 10-15 minutes and were showing no signs of being disturbed by our presence which was just awesome. Photography was virtually impossible because the glare on water meant you couldn't see them below the surface to track when they'd appear, but I did manage to get this one shot. It doesn't do the event any justice at all, but at least you can see how close they were to us!

I reckon if every Saturday could be like this, I'd would never have anything to complain about :)

Guide: Diving Scapa Flow & the Northern Isles

Scapa Flow and the Northern Isles

The Orkney islands lie approximately 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland, and have some of the best dive sites in the UK, particularly if you are fond of shipwreck and with over 70 islands forming the archipelago, there is no shortage of coastline and dive sites to explore. Broadly speaking however, there are two major areas to dive in – Scapa Flow in the south, or the Northern Isles in the north.

Divers completing a safety stop in the clear waters of Scapa Flow

A diver making his way to the bows of the Koln

A diver swimming alongside the Koln

Fish school around the wreck of the Koln. 

Gun turret on the F2 (WW2)

Gobernador Bories

The Oceana is fairly broken up now, but is covered in marine life

A diver inside the Endeavour

The outside of the Endeavour is covered in soft corals

Divers on the James Barrie

The bows of the James Barrie

The bridge deck and winch mechanisms still in place on the James Barrie.

The Jean Elaine coming to pick us up 

Scapa Flow is a sheltered sea area surrounded by the southern Orkney Islands, the largest of which are the Mainland, Hoy and South Ronaldsay. These islands keep the Flow sheltered from the worst of the weather, effectively creating a natural harbour which has been used by people for thousands of years to find shelter for themselves and their vessels. More recently it was exploited by the British navy during both the first and second world wars, when it was used as a major naval base to control access to the northern North Sea. The ships that sank during those conflicts and still remain under the waves in Scapa Flow are probably the greatest attraction to the divers who visit the islands every year.

To see more underwater photographs, and pictures from Scapa Flow, have a look at the Underwater gallery.

  

Map of the Orkney Islands and Scapa Flow

From Wikimedia Commons

The northern isles by comparison have no such military history, but have plenty to offer in their own right. Outside the shelter of Scapa Flow, the waters in the north of Orkney are subject to stronger tides and are more exposed to the weather meaning that diving is not always possible in all places. However, these currents serve to keep the water much clearer than could be expected in Scapa Flow and maintain a great variety of marine life to keep the biologists and scenic divers happy. There are plenty of shipwrecks around the Northern Isles as well, and while they might not be steeped in the history of the military wrecks of the flow, can still be absolutely stunning to visit.

Wrecks of Scapa Flow: German High Seas Fleet

The most famous wrecks in Scapa Flow are probably the seven remaining battleships and light cruisers from the German High Seas Fleet which was scuttled following the end of World War One. After the armistice was declared in 1918 at the end of World War 1, the High Seas Fleet of the German navy was interned in Scapa Flow with its fate to be decided by the Treaty of Versailles. The peace talks lasted months, and eventually in May 1919, it was declared that the German fleet was to be surrendered to the allied forces much to the displeasure of Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, commander of the German fleet. He immediately began making plans to scuttle the fleet rather than hand it to the allies, but didn’t have an opportunity to carry them out until 21st June 1919 when all but two of the British vessels that had been guarding the interned force left Scapa Flow for training exercises. Staffed only by skeleton crews, the allied forces did not consider the German navy to be any further threat to them and not worth keeping under constant heavy guard. The message took about an hour to pass between the German vessels, and they acted shortly after. Over the course of a single morning, 74 warships were scuttled and sank.

Following the end of WW1, most of those vessels were salvaged for scrap, with only seven of the 74 warships now resting underwater in the Flow: the cruisers Karlsruhe, Dresden, Brummer and Koln, and the battleships Konig, Kronprinz Wilhelm, and the Markgraf. These wrecks now lie in approximately 30-45m of water inside Scapa Flow and more information on each of the wrecks can be found on the photo pages themselves. Because they are in sheltered waters, they can be dived at any state of the tide and aside from the depth, are relatively easy to dive. That’s not to say that anyone can dive these wrecks – most dive trips to Scapa Flow last a week and decompression requirements can quickly add up, meaning that anyone wanting to dive here needs to be well prepared and a skilled diver. All seven of the wrecks are still in relatively good condition, but my personal favourite of the group is the Koln. This particular wreck is more or less intact, lies on its starboard side, and seems to be a particularly attractive spot for shoals of fish. I have dived it several times in the summer months, and each time it has been swarming with shoals of juvenile fish, which were sometimes so densely packed that it was impossible to see the wreck for the fish even if we were only a couple of metres away from it! I admit, I am generally more interested in marine life than wrecks for their own sake, but when you can have both, it makes for some excellent diving. 

Blockships

The blockships were merchant vessels that were commandeered and deliberately sunk by the British navy to try and block the entrances to Scapa Flow from German U-boats during the Second World War. the three remaining vessels lie in Burra sound, and are the wrecks of the Doyle, the Tabarka and the Gobernador Bories. They all lie in about 10-20m of water, but must be dived at slack due to the very fast currents in the sound. However, the increased tides do make for some nice visibility, and these blockships are usually clearer dives than the other wrecks in the Flow.

Of the three, the Tabarka is generally regarded as the best. I dived this wreck for the first time about 5 years ago, and it was stunning. There's typically a LOT of current on the blockships, but after battling our way down and dragging ourselves through the kelp over the top of the ship we made it inside what appeared to be a giant underwater barn. The visibility was about 30m with sunlight streaming through the sides of the wreck. Unfortunately, the wreck seems to have deteriorated quite badly in the last few years, and when we dived it in 2008 and 2010 it was a real squeeze to get inside what were once wide, spacious holes along the sides. And that was after 10 minutes trying to find them! The marine life is still really nice along the outside of the wreck though, with loads of filter feeders and anemones covering the edges.

The Gobernador Bories and Doyle are still quite intact around the stern and boiler rooms, and the bow of the Gobernador Bories is still intact as well I believe.

Wrecks of the Northern Isles

I dived in the Northern Isles for the first time in 2008, and was really surprised by the quality of the wrecks outside of Scapa Flow. Outside of the shelter of the Flow, many of the shipwrecks around the Northern Isles lie in quite tidal areas and have to be dived at slack water. However, the benefit of this is that marine life thrives in tidal conditions and the visibility can be excellent. There are dozens of wrecks around Orkney that can be dived, but the ones we visited were the Oceana (tug), Endeavour (trawler), and Loch Garry (boom defence vessel). Of these, the Endeavour was by far the most memorable, being covered in dead men’s fingers and full of fish with around 30m visibility. It was also easy to enter inside the bows of the vessel, and was a great setting for some wide-angle shots. The Oceana was also quite a nice, atmospheric wreck for photographs, but was much more broken up with only the skeleton structure remaining.

One wreck which is worthy of special mention though, and which can be dived as part of either a Scapa Flow or Northern Isles trip is the wreck of the James Barrie. This wreck lies in about 42m of water in a highly tidal area making it probably one of the most advanced-level dives in the area. However, if you can get the right tide and the right group to dive with you will be rewarded by a dive on an intact 60m trawler with visibility up to 30-40m. The ship itself lies on its starboard side and since there are still nets in the forward holds it is worth approaching it with a bit of caution! But the view on the ship itself is stunning. I’m not sure these photographs really do it justice, but I hope you enjoy them! 

Getting there

To get to Orkney, you can travel by ferry either from Aberdeen (about 3 hours north of Glasgow) or Scrabster (around 5 hours north of Glasgow) to Stromness. I believe there is also the option to fly, but this is much more expensive, and more hassle with dive kit.

There are a huge number of dive boats to choose from, but our club have generally dived from the liveaboards MV Jean Elaine or MV Sharon Rose (http://www.jeanelaine.co.uk/index.htm) for the last few years, and they have always provided excellent service, diving and advice.

All images shown in this article and more can be seen in the Underwater gallery.