flw
Guest
Inveraray in February, lulled into a false sense of security by a post dive pint in good company I heard my own voice saying - why not all crash at my place and we'll dive out of Groats for a weekend...
So, May bank holiday, I've a houseful and predictably it's snowing... ho hum
Never mind, we opt for relatively local dives. Jump aboard the North Coast Explorer the sea a little lumpy as we head over the Duncansby tidal race and round the corner to Wifie Geo - a shallow dive sheltered from the North - a series of tunnels and one wider geo running about 150 feet back from the cliff face and connected at the back where the roof has collapsed. Swimming back from the widest one, the walls covered with baked bean sea squirts and elephant ear sponge, the crabs hiding from the surge we while away the time looking at the host of small life on the walls, viz about 10-15m or so. Rounding the corner into the shallows at the back, we find the next entrance about 10 feet wide and swept, as we leave the light of the entrance in the distance we can see the seaward entrance - my buddy sillouetted against the light - the walls again full of sponges. As we near the entrance it opens out into a huge cave, turning sharply back on ourselves we find the 3rd and narrowest tunnel again leading back - entertaining in the surge - about 5 o6 feet accross a dim light showing in the the distance. There is a fourth tunnel, however by the time we'd swum around the others we were at 45 minuts and a little chilly in 8 degree water - so time to head home and swim out to the waiting boat. The afternoon the tide was ebbing, so Duncasnby Geo - a large deep geo directly under the light house. JUmping in, the water was gin clear, a few pollack swimming under the boat, but the water was filled with guillemonts we'd disturbed who were nesting on the cliff swiming silver around us. The geo splits into 2 caves at the back, We headed for the bigger one, again it goes back around 150 feet of swept rock, air above all the time. We found lobsters, but left them the rock swept - the upiquitous backed bean squirts and elephant sponge, plus volcanoe sponges and assorted other life. As the life and light dissappeared there is a rock fall - so heading upwards to the back - we find the rocks have been moved in the winter storms and the fall is noticeably lower this spring, so th ewater deeper. Oopsy - a big bull seal is in front of us, he thinks he's trapped and getting agitated, so we drops back adn he fins hard over us towards the open sea clipping Graeme as he goes - and we find another 4 seals in behind him. Heading slowly out, the light filtering in the tall gully, we semin round to the second smaller cave, althou it goes back probaby 50 or 60 feet and then some of the smaller side caves, each fillled with small life on the walls before at 50 minutes on a single 12 I was a little low on air, we headed back the 10 minutes to harbour.
Sunday - its sunny if not exactly warm, so Buchollie castle, a site I've kayaked, but not dived and curiousity was getting hte better of me. Shallow and filled with light, the reef under the castle was pretty, albeit a little kelpy - I found the swim throughs I'd paddled through - a twin tunnel directly uner the castle - however at low tide I ended up a bit stranded on the rocks, and failed to scramble out over the edge at the back... The reef had shallow slab rocks with the pinnacles frm the reef, leading down to about 12m before the tide started to run, so heading back we meandered amonthe the rocks, with white sand between and played with the flat fish - a few beams from teh Stellatus sand in the 50's among us.
The afternoon was the Gloup at Stroma, adn into the Pentland Firth proper - on an ebb tide there is no tide in this area - although if you head out too far Greenland is an option... Dropping against the impressive walls to 14m or so, the cliffs live with nesting birds. There's a ledge willed with grey seals, under the ledge is a cave - which opens out into a moon pool, our bubbles spook the seals and the roll off into the pool and swim around us, nosey, just like labradors. We follow the wall around and into the narrow channel of the gluop, both sides visible, followed by an entourage of seals. Suddenly my fins are tugged,, I jump, but it's only my daughter diving with another pair who takes the opportunity to say hello. The walls are again filled with life, although the fish are still to return in numbers, as it's early in the year. Another dive surfacing on minimal air we clamber back aboard to raid the last of the biscuits. The way back was in sunshine, Aly skippering takes us into another cave, the beach at the back filled with seal pups - there must have been at least 20 pairs of eyes in the darkness - we don't disturb them, and it turns out the cave is used as a nursery by the resident colony.
It's only 20 minutes back to harbour and time to head home, good company, a few bottles of wine between us and the sun setting over Dunnet Head - just have to invite them all back again.
However it's the weekend, we were kayaking last night, the boats are still on the roof as we didn;t leave the water till after 9 ...so time to head off for a peerie explore off Wick I think
So, May bank holiday, I've a houseful and predictably it's snowing... ho hum
Never mind, we opt for relatively local dives. Jump aboard the North Coast Explorer the sea a little lumpy as we head over the Duncansby tidal race and round the corner to Wifie Geo - a shallow dive sheltered from the North - a series of tunnels and one wider geo running about 150 feet back from the cliff face and connected at the back where the roof has collapsed. Swimming back from the widest one, the walls covered with baked bean sea squirts and elephant ear sponge, the crabs hiding from the surge we while away the time looking at the host of small life on the walls, viz about 10-15m or so. Rounding the corner into the shallows at the back, we find the next entrance about 10 feet wide and swept, as we leave the light of the entrance in the distance we can see the seaward entrance - my buddy sillouetted against the light - the walls again full of sponges. As we near the entrance it opens out into a huge cave, turning sharply back on ourselves we find the 3rd and narrowest tunnel again leading back - entertaining in the surge - about 5 o6 feet accross a dim light showing in the the distance. There is a fourth tunnel, however by the time we'd swum around the others we were at 45 minuts and a little chilly in 8 degree water - so time to head home and swim out to the waiting boat. The afternoon the tide was ebbing, so Duncasnby Geo - a large deep geo directly under the light house. JUmping in, the water was gin clear, a few pollack swimming under the boat, but the water was filled with guillemonts we'd disturbed who were nesting on the cliff swiming silver around us. The geo splits into 2 caves at the back, We headed for the bigger one, again it goes back around 150 feet of swept rock, air above all the time. We found lobsters, but left them the rock swept - the upiquitous backed bean squirts and elephant sponge, plus volcanoe sponges and assorted other life. As the life and light dissappeared there is a rock fall - so heading upwards to the back - we find the rocks have been moved in the winter storms and the fall is noticeably lower this spring, so th ewater deeper. Oopsy - a big bull seal is in front of us, he thinks he's trapped and getting agitated, so we drops back adn he fins hard over us towards the open sea clipping Graeme as he goes - and we find another 4 seals in behind him. Heading slowly out, the light filtering in the tall gully, we semin round to the second smaller cave, althou it goes back probaby 50 or 60 feet and then some of the smaller side caves, each fillled with small life on the walls before at 50 minutes on a single 12 I was a little low on air, we headed back the 10 minutes to harbour.
Sunday - its sunny if not exactly warm, so Buchollie castle, a site I've kayaked, but not dived and curiousity was getting hte better of me. Shallow and filled with light, the reef under the castle was pretty, albeit a little kelpy - I found the swim throughs I'd paddled through - a twin tunnel directly uner the castle - however at low tide I ended up a bit stranded on the rocks, and failed to scramble out over the edge at the back... The reef had shallow slab rocks with the pinnacles frm the reef, leading down to about 12m before the tide started to run, so heading back we meandered amonthe the rocks, with white sand between and played with the flat fish - a few beams from teh Stellatus sand in the 50's among us.
The afternoon was the Gloup at Stroma, adn into the Pentland Firth proper - on an ebb tide there is no tide in this area - although if you head out too far Greenland is an option... Dropping against the impressive walls to 14m or so, the cliffs live with nesting birds. There's a ledge willed with grey seals, under the ledge is a cave - which opens out into a moon pool, our bubbles spook the seals and the roll off into the pool and swim around us, nosey, just like labradors. We follow the wall around and into the narrow channel of the gluop, both sides visible, followed by an entourage of seals. Suddenly my fins are tugged,, I jump, but it's only my daughter diving with another pair who takes the opportunity to say hello. The walls are again filled with life, although the fish are still to return in numbers, as it's early in the year. Another dive surfacing on minimal air we clamber back aboard to raid the last of the biscuits. The way back was in sunshine, Aly skippering takes us into another cave, the beach at the back filled with seal pups - there must have been at least 20 pairs of eyes in the darkness - we don't disturb them, and it turns out the cave is used as a nursery by the resident colony.
It's only 20 minutes back to harbour and time to head home, good company, a few bottles of wine between us and the sun setting over Dunnet Head - just have to invite them all back again.
However it's the weekend, we were kayaking last night, the boats are still on the roof as we didn;t leave the water till after 9 ...so time to head off for a peerie explore off Wick I think
