Marlin SAC Visit Lundy

by Graham Bowers

The tide time dictated a 7.15 start on Saturday morning as if we didn't get our skates on, there'd be no water left in Clovelly harbour. There frequently (twice a day) isn't. As it was, the kit has to be handballed down a perilous set of steps before being stowed in the boat, the Jessica Hetty. The skipper, Clive Pearson, Clovelly Charters turned up on an old 1950's AMC 350 and that had to be a good sign.

We got to Lundy around 10 ish I think, and dumped all of the dry kit at the top of the jetty to create more room on the boat, then motored to the first dive site, MV Robert, a small coaster. Not sure when she was built, but she sank in 1975 and now lies in 25 metres of water on her starboard side, intact. The visibility was well over 10 metres so the wreck quickly appeared as the buoy was tied off on the port side at 18 metres, just forward of the superstructure. A quick look to get oriented then John and I slipped over the deck and descended to the seabed. We slowly circled the wreck at seabed level and went into the holds for a poke about and to meet the large lobster that enjoys the Marine Reserve status of Lundy and so avoids the pot. The carpets of plumose anenomes are typical of a habitat that is well swept by currents that bring food to these impressive creatures, the body of some looked to be 4 or 5 inches in diameter, with the feeding polyps extending like the head of a flower. We ascended to circle the wreck again at a higher level and John spotted a conger in a steel tube that is now horizontal, protruding from the port side of the main deck. We finished off drifting along the port side of the wreck back to the shot and so completed a very relaxed, scenic and enjoyable dive.

Lunch was taken in Gannets bay and although some snorkelled, Clive promised that all of the seals would be in the water after the second dive, so we looked forward to returning later.

The second dive was on a sort of two pronged pinnacle of rock that we had to drift on to and then quickly sneak in to shelterd water around the back. Failure meant getting swept past the rock and up the coast, but nobody did that so we didn't find out the forfeit! The water was a little more turbid than on the Robert, probably as the speed of the tide had picked up, but viz was acceptable. We descended to around 22 metres and then slowly ascended in a series of traverses in the shelter of the rock, that was absolutely plastered in sessile animal life at the lower depths and covered in kelp nearer the surface. We saw a couple of crawfish, which was a first for me. They sort of look lobsterish but have banded antennae and lack the intimidating lobster claws. One was a bit of a monster that was entrenched in his hole but the other was out in the open so we got a good look. Nik and Chris ventured further up a deep gully than John and I, and were rewarded by finding a big bull seal, fast asleep. Once up to kelp depth we burrowed into it and discovered edible crabs, spiny spider crabs and a host of smaller life either hiding under the kelp, or as the blue rayed limpets, living on it.

Back to Gannets bay to breathe our cylinders down in the company of the seals, which were in the water now as the tide was well in. Pauline and Sasha snorkelled. The game was to lie on the bottom and wait for the seals to come to us, which unable to contain their curiosity, they soon did. One came over and wanted to nibble Nathalie's fins. We just lay still and watched the seals circling us, coming up close to watch, going up for a breath. One big bull looked fast asleep and he probably was, as he slowly rolled off the rock he was on and fell into the kelp. I got to the point where my air dictated I surface and left Nik in Nathalies company. Nik got to know the big bull seal a little better - but that's another story.

The camping kit had been portaged up to the campsite for us so after an easy walk up we made camp and fed. Most went to the pub for an evening meal but I cooked up and then went to sample what the dry bits of Lundy have to offer. One of the lighthouses on the West coast is quite near the campsite and is open, so after ascending the spiral staircase it was possible to get outside of the glass enclosure and circle the outside catwalk for an excellent view up to the top of the island. I've never seen so many rabbits in my life. After climbing stiles over the 3 walls that cross the island it was possible to hear the thump of tens and tens of rabbit feet and gear the rustle as they charged through the bracken, seeking refuge in their warrens. The West coast has higher and cleaner cliffs than the East, doubtless due to the effect of the Atlantic ocean. Towards the North West of the island the cliffs become more continuous and good views of the Devils Slide area was possible from an adjacent headland. This impressive slab of granite starts at sea level and soars up 390 feet, getting steeper all of the way as good climbs should. Hats off to K. Lawder and J. Logan for their June 1961 first ascent.

Anyway, back to diving. Sunday saw force 3 to 4 Easterlies so Clive took us around to the West of the island that was sheltered, but subject to a slight ocean swell. The first dive was a drift in the Devils Slide area, down to 24 metres and through a terrain of boulders as big as houses with gullys passing between. SMB's were rightfully deployed but this made life a bit difficult at times as sometimes the surface water flow was in a different direction to that at the bottom, causing the smb lines to pull in the "wrong" direction. It wasn't really possible to stop due to the flow of the water so it was a case of taking in the rock scenery and local flora and fauna as we floated by it.

Clive and Adrian had been busy catching mackerel as we dived and Clive filleted and cooked them up for us for lunch. Beautiful. We were kitting up for the second drift and I was just donning my weightbelt when somebody spotted a fin breaking the surface no more than 40 feet or so from the starboard side of the boat. Clive identified the fin as belonging to a sunfish. I really never ever expected to encounter one of these unusual creatures and so bounded (with Adrian) on to the upper deck as Clive steered closer. We got an excellent view of the circular profile of it's body in the clear water before it slipped away from sight. It was only a tiddler at about a metre long, but the largest examples of this pelagic creature can grow to 1500Kg.

The second dive was a faster and more turbid Northerly drift, starting a couple of miles South of the Devils Slide. We kept it shallower at around 17 metres max and so had a lot of "fun" keeping the smb line out of the kelp, but it was better than getting seperated from the boat! I don't know if it was the colour of the water that was responsible, but we came across quite a few big Pollock hovering on the limit of visibility, which I estimate to be as low as 5 metres.

So, diving operations were over and it remained to pack up the dive kit, stow the dry gear and nip back over to the mainland. Of course the force 4 headwind meant we were straight into a lumpy sea and those who were too slow to get in to the cabin were rewarded with a prolonged shower of Neptune's best.

You'll have to be quick to get your name up before me next year!!

Marlin SAC


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