View Full Version : Beryl at A Frames
snorkel123
23-03-07, 00:07
Dived tonight at A Frames (22-3-07), beautiful evening to get kitted up compared to what we've been used to for the last few months, entered the water at 19.40 and dived to 27 metres, five minutes into dive, what seemed like a large grey shadow appeared VERY quickly at my left hand side and swam around the front of me then disappeared to my right, got to be honest, it gave me a bit of a scare!
Dive time tonight was thirty seven minutes and Beryl made another two appearances, second one was about ten minutes later at approx 20 metres, appeared at my right hand side, turned sharply and disappeared behind me - this may sound daft but I was apprehensive to shine my torch on her for too long in case I aggrevated her - I felt at that moment I was very much in her territory and didn't want to do anything that might upset her.
Third and final sighting was thirty minutes into dive at 14 metres when she quickly darted across the front of me.
Glad to have had this experience with Beryl but it certainly gave me a bit of a fright and did absolutely nothing for my air consumption rate which I have been working hard on for the last few weeks to get down to an acceptable level.
Thanks for the fun Beryl, until next time
Brian
Dived tonight at A Frames (22-3-07), beautiful evening to get kitted up compared to what we've been used to for the last few months, entered the water at 19.40 and dived to 27 metres, five minutes into dive, what seemed like a large grey shadow appeared VERY quickly at my left hand side and swam around the front of me then disappeared to my right, got to be honest, it gave me a bit of a scare!
Dive time tonight was thirty seven minutes and Beryl made another two appearances, second one was about ten minutes later at approx 20 metres, appeared at my right hand side, turned sharply and disappeared behind me - this may sound daft but I was apprehensive to shine my torch on her for too long in case I aggrevated her - I felt at that moment I was very much in her territory and didn't want to do anything that might upset her.
Third and final sighting was thirty minutes into dive at 14 metres when she quickly darted across the front of me.
Glad to have had this experience with Beryl but it certainly gave me a bit of a fright and did absolutely nothing for my air consumption rate which I have been working hard on for the last few weeks to get down to an acceptable level.
Thanks for the fun Beryl, until next time
Brian
Looks like I may have a Beryl moment tomorrow night then. Watch my air consumption go through the roof!
Does it sound a bit feeble of me to say that I'd prefer not to meet her until I have a few more night dives under my belt?
Al the big girly blouse!
remember to rinse the inside of your suit out as well Brian:p
snorkel123
23-03-07, 08:32
Does anyone have a Karcher industrial pressure washer I can borrow to remove the real stubborn stains! :D
Beryl-related pleasure is directly proportional to viz.
i.e. in low viz she's a bit too much of an unknown quantity, in good viz she's a fun friend.
The bottom line though is that she seems diver-friendly in our limited experience. The one thought in the back of my mind though is that she is actually a "he" - a solitary male currently separated from his colony. Seasonal hormonal fluctuations may lead to aggressive behaviour at some point, but what the hell do i know. Seems to want to play rather than fight.
As Charlie and I reported last week though, it's not pleasant when she reduces already low viz to total zero ... :eek:
I hear seals are attracted to orange :D ,if she appears tonight i'll be hiding behind you :p
Midton,
Not at all a BGB. My first experience of Beryl was in extremely low viz at night and I have to admit there was a certain speeding up of the thumping behind my chest at the first grey flash, after I realised it was only Beryl and put all other thoughts out of my head and got rid of the Jaws theme from playing in my head, I was fine. Didnt notice any change in my air consumption, but did have to check the inside of my drysuit.
Hope she turns up for you!
no Beryl tonight, although Loudy got his first decompression dive in....
no Beryl tonight, although Loudy got his first decompression dive in....
oops :p,well we did fart around for a while looking for a bottle bank at 30 metres.
could have saved all the hassle and looked at the one outside the scotmid! :D
oops :p,well we did fart around for a while looking for a bottle bank at 30 metres.
And you couldn't find it even when the single-handed silt machine was on shoreside?
:eek:
Al (aka Midton aka Mudton)
I know what you mean about being a bit apprehensive when seeing Beryl, makes us look like we should not even be in the water LOL. He/she is a big un and does make you think twice about what you do around him/her when she is close. He/she does seem a bit interested and friendly enough. Has had a hold of my fins but in a playful manner. Does anyone kow how to tell a male from female seal? No obvious answers please? All backseat drivers, blonde jokes and thick bloke jokes do qualify though :)
snorkel123
24-03-07, 19:49
Don't think I'll be diving with you two guys again - here I was a quiet guy from paisley almost getting introduced to decompression diving.
Honest mum - I'm a good boy, just got involved with a bad bunch! ;)
ps - What you guys doing on sunday? :D
I know what you mean about being a bit apprehensive when seeing Beryl, makes us look like we should not even be in the water LOL. He/she is a big un and does make you think twice about what you do around him/her when she is close. He/she does seem a bit interested and friendly enough. Has had a hold of my fins but in a playful manner. Does anyone kow how to tell a male from female seal? No obvious answers please? All backseat drivers, blonde jokes and thick bloke jokes do qualify though :)
http://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/seamammal/seals.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/167.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/277.shtml
erm how big is Beryl? The only way to tell male and females apart is by size, males being bigger.
Next time can someone measure her, but by all account she could be a he!
Has anyone spoke to the RSPCA? or have any tree hugging hippy friends that might know the difference?
Gray or Common, male or female, and why on it own?
the mystery continues......
Don't think I'll be diving with you two guys again - here I was a quiet guy from paisley almost getting introduced to decompression diving.
Honest mum - I'm a good boy, just got involved with a bad bunch! ;)
ps - What you guys doing on sunday? :D
If I remember correctly, it was me that called to turn round, otherwise we would have been on the other side of the loch...
After the football today, Loudys almost certinly to be laying in
a gutter somewhere in Glasgow, sparkled.
I think I'm doing family things like cycling and stuff...also trying to get her to agree to a weeks 5* sunshine, sea & sand in, erm Sharm.......:o
I'll be out on Monday night and probably Wednesday night too, anyone can come along.
non planned decompression diving with a handfull of dives under your belt for experience, could lead to serious consequences.
non planned decompression diving with a handfull of dives under your belt for experience, could lead to serious consequences.
Good lessons were learned all round.
Has anyone spoke to the RSPCA? or have any tree hugging hippy friends that might know the difference?
Chris' mate Gordon works with seals a bit, so he might be able to advise.
Oh yeah, I forgot about that expert!!