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DBS Lochaline April 2008

Bucking this years trends, we had fabulous weather for the Deep Blue Scuba trip to Lochaline this weekend. My thanks go to Derek for being my buddy, Paul for organising and being a backup-buddy, and last but by no means least to Elaine for the excellent catering!

2008-04-18_Lochaline_0000.jpg My car was giving me gyp starting earlier in the week, so I drove Edinburgh to the Corran Ferry in one go. I had visions of it not starting when we arrived, and having to keep paying my £6.20 ferry fare to travel back and forth until the RAC turned up!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0001.jpg It was a lovely sunny evening as we crossed Loch Linnhe.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0003.jpg Bright sunshine, blue sky, and still some snow on the peaks in the distance. What more could you ask for other than a reliable car...
...fortunately it didn't let me down this time!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0004.jpg The next day dive 1 was on the Rondo but I didn't take my camera as my buddy hadn't dived for a while and it's a deepish dive. This is Derek on our second dive, on the Thesis.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0005.jpg Looking out from the forward section through the frames of the hull. The plates are mostly long gone, rusted away.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0006.jpg Phil popping up to deck level.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0007.jpg The Thesis seems to be covered with these this year - not quite sure what they are!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0008.jpg Basking in sunshine during a surface interval - time for a bite of lunch too!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0009.jpg The third dive of the day was with Paul, on a rocky reef. Some folks went off to bag some scallops but we dived it as a scenic. This starfish looks like it isn't touching the bottom - in fact the hundreds of small legs underneath were propelling it at high speed!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0010.jpg A minescule hermit crab in a shell only about 5mm in diameter.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0012.jpg This squat lobster appears to be eating a dead fish - I can't imagine it caught it for itself though!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0013.jpg Dead mens fingers.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0014.jpg Burrowing anemone on a sandy patch, just waiting for something tasty to drift past.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0017.jpg A queen scallop quietly going about its own business. Sad to say this specimen ended up in Pauls goody bag after I snapped it.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0018.jpg This velvet swimming crab seemed to be kicking up a sandstorm to disguise itself.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0019.jpg We got back quite early, so I decided to go for a bit of a walk before dinner. Here are some logs on the commercial pier at Lochaline.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0020.jpg Ardtornish Castle, just across Loch Aline from our accomodation.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0021.jpg We were staying in the Old Post Office self catering accomodation, supplied by Lochaline Dive Centre
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0022.jpg The Old Post Office with the sun behind.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0023.jpg In remote places like Lochaline, scrappies and breakers yards are a long way away. Old vehicles and trailers are often just abandoned.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0024.jpg View across to Mull from a small beach near the Old Post Office. With the sun out it looks very Mediterranean!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0027.jpg Another sunny view, this time across the beach.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0028.jpg My wanderings next took me along to Lochaline ferry terminal, where the "Loch Fyne" was just coming in from Mull.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0029.jpg The two boats of Lochaline Boat Charters, Brendan and Peregrine. I've been on the Brendan about 3 or 4 times now, but for this trip we were on the Peregrine. Both make great diving platforms.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0030.jpg A leaking tap on the pier sprays water in the sunshine.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0031.jpg The ferry loading vehicles for its return trip across to Mull.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0033.jpg Just up the coast from the ferry terminal is a Silica Sand Mine, first opened in WWII to supply high quality optical equipment manufacturers. Some of the old machinery has been left out as an informal exhibit.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0035.jpg Entrance to one of the mine tunnels.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0036.jpg A much smaller, and presumably older, tunnel entrance.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0041.jpg Sand waiting to be loaded onto a ship for transport to its destination.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0043.jpg Large blocks of raw material waiting to go through the grinders.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0044.jpg Walking up a zig-zagging track toward some of the modern tunnels, I saw movement on the hill above me and saw a couple of Deer.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0045.jpg The larger one was watching me intently, and made a few loud barking noises - I'm not sure if it was trying to frighten me...
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0047.jpg When I came round the corner in the track, there were 8 deer just standing there facing me. They didn't seem fazed by my presence at all.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0048.jpg In fact, they stood their ground and as I got closer I started to feel a little intimidated...
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0050.jpg Back down the hill there were sand storage areas with small leaks of sand flowing between the panels.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0051.jpg The sun setting behind the trees was my cue to return to the accomdation for dinner.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0052.jpg A final snap on the way back - a Mini headlamp cluster catching the light (I might have enhanced this just a little...)
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0053.jpg Day two starts with a beautiful wall dive where there were plenty of these football sea squirts.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0054.jpg These wee squatties are so bold, this guy was waving claws and antennae at me very threateningly!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0055.jpg There were a few of these peacock worms on the wall, one of the more spectacularly beautiful creatures to my eye.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0056.jpg A little sea scorpion resting on a piece of seaweed isn't as well camoflaged as he might like to think!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0057.jpg A little nudibranch (sea slug, white blob!) grazing on some algae.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0058.jpg A close up of a dead mans finger, the macarbre name of these soft corals.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0059.jpg More dead mens fingers, orange and white growing alongside each other.
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0060.jpg I love these little green and pink Devonshire Cup Corals with their crowns of tentacles, but they are really hard to photograph. Must try harder next time!
2008-04-18_Lochaline_0061.jpg Sea Pens wave gently in the current along the wall.
6 dives in two days, great weather, congenial company, all the food you could possibly eat and the odd pint. What a fab weekend.
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