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Lochaline, October 2010

A Divetech autumn trip to Lochaline for a variety of wrecks and scenics aboard the very comfortable Sound Diver. Thanks to Sheila for organising - especially since these were her final UK dives!

2010-10-23_Lochaline_0001.jpg Our first dive was on the Shuna. Crap vis so no pictures until we headed into Tobermory for lunch.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0002.jpg Sheila found a mask to try on in the chocolate shop. Long story.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0003.jpg Tobermory harbour in glorious sunshine.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0004.jpg Sound Diver at the pontoon.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0006.jpg A Sand Mason worm
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0009.jpg Sea squirt.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0010.jpg Tiny colonial sea-squirts.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0013.jpg A little two-spot Goby.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0015.jpg Painted Top Shells like this are pretty common - but you don't see many with Barnacles taking a ride.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0017.jpg Sarah - Sensible Buddy
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0018.jpg Sarah - Silly Buddy
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0019.jpg Sarah - Silly Buddy
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0020.jpg Sarah - Sensible Buddy
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0022.jpg Sarah - Taking a photo of me being a silly buddy.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0023.jpg Pert DSMB (Sarah's, not mine)
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0024.jpg Sound Diver (from a wet camera)
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0025.jpg The low evening sun catches the hills in layers.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0026.jpg Making knots. This was just before the Port engine cooling intake got blocked with weed (cue 10 minute break)
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0027.jpg Colin also photographing.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0029.jpg Equipment all neatly tied up.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0033.jpg iPhone moment.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0034.jpg Plenty of deck space for kitting up, and a lift for hauling lazy divers (all of us!) out of the water.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0037.jpg The Clansman heads for Tobermory.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0040.jpg Low evening sun.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0041.jpg Loading at Lochaline Pier.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0043.jpg A peacock worm on the Rondo. I may have been narked when taking this at 30m+, as there were about 500 out-of-focus ones before this on the memory card...
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0045.jpg These look like tiny aquatic flowers.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0047.jpg A large sunstar grazes the life-encrusted wreckage.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0048.jpg Alison tells me this is a "Grated Carrot Sponge". I don't think I've seen one before, but I love the name!
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0049.jpg A selection of tightly closed anemones.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0050.jpg A gently unfurling Plumose Anemone.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0053.jpg A variety of tiny sponges and sea-squirts.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0055.jpg A starfish feels its way across the rusty iron.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0056.jpg A tiny sponge, smaller than the nail on my little finger.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0057.jpg The impressive rudder on the Rondo, with Sarah for scale.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0058.jpg Still on the rudder.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0059.jpg Sarah appears to be being attacked by kelp on the rudder.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0060.jpg Escaping the kelp.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0062.jpg The wreck of the John Preston. Only a few timbers and some of the slate cargo remain.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0061.jpg Random slate.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0063.jpg Colin hovers alongside one of the few substantial timbers.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0064.jpg Timbers looming out the dark with archealogical markers on them. Diving this wreck reminds me of watching divers on the Mary Rose on Blue Peter when I was a kid.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0065.jpg Scallop.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0066.jpg A Devonshire Cup Coral. Devilishly tricky to photograph so that they look anything like what you see (I have failed again here).
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0068.jpg A burrowing anemone's mouth-parts.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0070.jpg Sea squirt. Another childhood memory is stroboscopic photographs of milk splashing that my Grandfather cut out of National Geographic for me. The tops of these sea squirts remind me of those milk "crowns".
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0078.jpg At safety stop depth (stops completed), Colin has a wee dram to celebrate his 100th dive.
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0074.jpg Resealing the bottle...
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0075.jpg ...to pass it to Sarah...
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0076.jpg ...who also has a wee drop!
2010-10-23_Lochaline_0077.jpg Congratulations on your 100th dive Colin!
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