A lovely long weekend away with Alison, Brian and Sarah diving in Loch Fyne. Thanks to Brian and Alison for inviting me and supplying the boat and compressor for the trip!
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Alison over the bows of a wrecked yacht that Brian and Sarah found for us.
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You can just make out the shape of the bow, and the rigging in the background.
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The main mast still stands proud...
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...and at the base you can clearly make out a winch, and the remains of a sail.
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The cabin is just a jumble.
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Detail of a very well preserved winch and rope.
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Looking at the stern you can see she was clinker built, from bent planks of wood. Someone will be sorry to have lost her!
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Alison, laughing at me as usual.
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Dead Mens Fingers growing on the mast of the wrecked yacht.
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A scallop feeding on the seabed.
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A very bright orange cushion star.
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If you look closely at the underside of this moon jellyfish, you'll see a tiny fish hiding there (just to the right of centre).
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A Seven Armed Starfish marches across the seabed on millions of tiny feet.
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Camouflaged to the naked eye - much less so to my camera and it's flash.
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A pale featherstar stands out in a forest of red featherstars.
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A long-clawed squat lobster in a hole.
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Keeping his beady eye on me...
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Another moon jellyfish - you can see the feeding tentacles waiting to trap passing morsels.
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This jellyfish has much longer stinging tentacles, in which hide a myriad of tiny fish. No predator will risk a sting to grab them. I'm not sure if the tiny fish are immune to the stings, or just very careful...
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Alison with a jellyfish. Alison is the one on the left...
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A Ballan Wrasse out in the open on the seabed.
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Underneath all the "fluff" there's a crab, with it's claws outstretched agressively at my camera.
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A tinly little jelly hydroid, no bigger than a finger nail.
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A similarly finger nail sized comb jelly.
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The weather for the trip was pretty poor, with constant rain and blustery, squally showers.
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A deer near Applecross.
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Another deer near Applelecross.
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The same deer again near Applecross.
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Rain isn't usually photogenic, but this rainbow in a passing squall was.
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Another squall, another rainbow.
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Plumose anemones.
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A featherstar.
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A cushionstar grazing across the rock. You can see it's path through the encrusting life behind it.
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Common Sea Urchin.
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Barnacles on a rock - if you look closely you can see the fan-shaped scoop they use to pluch food out of the passing water.
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A painted top shell on kelp.
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Nudibranch.
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This shell is more encrusted than painted, but you can see the snail's feelers very clearly.
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A rare sunny spell while waiting to take the boat out the water - the dark clouds aren't far away though!
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Brian, Sarah and Alison enjoying the sunshine!
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