View Full Version : Night Dive at A Frames, Finnart, 2/11/06
alexmaclennan
02-11-06, 23:45
A crisp, calm autumn evening. High water at 7.15pm when we went in. 12 degrees on surface (tho' felt colder going in and coming out). Definite thermocline at 3 or 4 m then a toasty 13 degrees thereafter. Viz at least 6m with the Light Cannon. All the usual suspects of sealoch life were out. Lots of queen scallops at 20m.
Highlight of the dive was a small red cuttlefish trying to bury itself into the silt at 16m - first time I've seen one in Scotland.
Coming out at 5m noticed lots of Strawberry Worms because of their long thin tentacles - see Ding's photo and Bubblemakers explanation on another thread. Shine the torch on them and the tentacles slowly retract.
Afterwards, the other group of divers who were there said that St Catherines 2 at night is the place to see cuttlefish. They also saw lots of big pollack, a conger and sticklebacks (have to look out for them next time) during their dive.
alex
A crisp, calm autumn evening. High water at 7.15pm when we went in. 12 degrees on surface (tho' felt colder going in and coming out). Definite thermocline at 3 or 4 m then a toasty 13 degrees thereafter. Viz at least 6m with the Light Cannon. All the usual suspects of sealoch life were out. Lots of queen scallops at 20m.
Highlight of the dive was a small red cuttlefish trying to bury itself into the silt at 16m - first time I've seen one in Scotland.
Coming out at 5m noticed lots of Strawberry Worms because of their long thin tentacles - see Ding's photo and Bubblemakers explanation on another thread. Shine the torch on them and the tentacles slowly retract.
Afterwards, the other group of divers who were there said that St Catherines 2 at night is the place to see cuttlefish. They also saw lots of big pollack, a conger and sticklebacks (have to look out for them next time) during their dive.
alex
Finnart is the only place I'v seen cuttlefish were they small about 30-35mm?
Where is st cathrines 2, so many diff names.
alexmaclennan
03-11-06, 10:59
The cuttlefish was only about 3 or 4 cm long and bright red.
St Catherines 2. - I know this from diving with Dave Tomlin of Splashsports and Alan. You drive about 200/300m further down track by seashore from the divesite known as St Catherines 1/ Road Depot/Salt Depot. Park beside a ramp that goes to shingle shore and go in from there. There is a bouldery reef from ?10 or 12m to more than 30m as I remember.
Again we'll have to add the various St Catherines divesites over time, with the various names by which they are known.
alex
bubblemaker
03-11-06, 17:48
the cuttle fish is a 'little cuttlefish'. I've seen quite a few of them there... they're kinda dumb; when you got near them they bury their tentacles in the silt, and leave their but sticking out!!
I've also seen tiny wee cuttlefish babies at conger... they were probably only about 2cm long!! so cute, especially when they inked me!!
Check out this picture taken at wemyss bay
http://www.atlantic-divers.co.uk/gallery/v/?g2_page=3
Maybe a bit of global warming
The red cuttle fish are Atlantic cuttlefish, I believe.
They are more common in Loch Fyne.
I've found them regularly at the 2 southern St Catherin's sites, on night dives at depths over 15 m.:)