Shoalstone (Brixham)

London Aquarium / HMS Belfast

Yas, an expert bargain hunter, got some money-off tickets (as well as some incredibly cheap 1st class train tickets) and we went to the London Aquarium and HMS Belfast.

Nice aquarium. Lots of interesting British fish. Great to see a tank of John Dory (minus parasites!) and another with wonderfully grotesque wolf-fish. A nice seashore bit for kids with starfish, anemones etc,.. and large open tank of rays (with a spiny starfish scuttling about) which at feeding time was great to see, as well as friendly knowledgeable staff. I can't remember what the full price was but you could spend a long while there and at the time seemed reasonable. Lots of tropical and jungle fish too (if you're interested in them) and of course the big shark tank.

It was a really hot sunny day and very crowded around the county hall and Westminster Bridge. We walked along the river to the Belfast, and spent the afternoon exploring - you can go pretty well everywhere - inside the gun turrets, up to the bridge, see the engine rooms and boilers; the living spaces, galley, sick bay etc are all fitted out and convincing mannequins give good sketch of life on board. Also various interesting displays and superb model boats :)

Babbacombe

Dived with Geoff H. Swam steadily north from beach. Vis was 3-4 metres. Went over weedy/rocky lower shore to the silty turfy rubble and reefy bits. Then went W for a while across the gravel ridges and silty/sand. After a while came up against the rocks jutting out from just beyond the bridge. We went round the edge of these approx NW. About here we separated and rendevoused. Had a look round the rocks here before making our way back.

Lots of fish: ballan wrasse, goldsinny wrasse, pipefish, dragonets, tiny silver fish, a tompot blenny, and a very fast garfish type thing. Gravel sea cucumbers and lots lightbulb seas squirts in the rocks below the bridge. Throughout dive plenty of spiny starfish. Some masked crab, hermits, velvet, etc,.. Little bit of a surface swim at the end. A good exercise: as not great vis, doing towing, navigation, and taking a few pics.

Babbacombe

Dived in a three with Derek and Lucy. Once Lucy's bouyancy was sorted (needed a little extra weight), we had a very smooth dive. We went out from the beach, and it wasn't long before I spotted a pair of cuttlefish on a bit of reef. I got Derek and Lucy over and fortunately managed to find the cuttlefish again. We watched for a while and got a few pictures.

Later, out over the silty sand, I spotted the anchor (vis was 4-5m) and we had a look at that. Derek went up the line to check location. As the silt cleared I looked for scorpion spider crabs - but couldn't see any this time. Lucy found a long legged spider crab out on the sand. On we went (I think we did bit of a circle) and Lucy found a well camouflaged topknot resting on lump of concrete. Out the water after 70-something minutes, and we stopped at the café for a sausage and egg baguette.

Scylla

Babbacombe

Original plan was to dive Ladram, but as we'd done this recently (and good vis there slightly doubtful), decided to go to Babbacombe. Just Derek and myself diving. Vis was reasonable; and as ever lots to see. Found over the gravel ridges a big diamond-shaped flatfish, elongated body.

Lots of hermit crabs, including one covered with live tube worms. Necklace shell, and a 'great' goby, and much other wildlife around the little boulders out on the sand. Later on we found a big rope that had lots of plumose anemones stuck to it. Very pretty with the sun behind. Snake pipefish and two-spot gobies around the weedy stuff closer to shore.

Pentewan (Dive Fest)

A very nice weekend, even though no boat diving was possible.

On Saturday (after driving down at 04:30) Yas and me went with Jake for long walk along the SW coast path, passing through Goran Haven and Mevagissey. It was very windy, blowing us sideways at times, and with the occasional downpour - but in between, the sun came out and the views were superb. A pair of divers got in at Goran Haven and a bunch went in at Portmellon but even here the water looked a bit churned up.

The evening of the hog roast stayed dry, and there was a bonfire, band etc. The food wasn't amazing; but the atmos jolly, and the Cornish ale I tried very good.

Sunday, the weather was terrible and diving, unsurprisingly, was binned again. We went round the dive show stands, and even made it to one of the talks. Just as well I got tickets in the end; the hog roast was good, the dive show worth a look,.. and we got a free hat.

Ladram

Weather fortunately settled enough lately for the vis to be ok here. Was a bit misty as we started off but over the reef - straight out from the beach - it was 5-6 metres. Not as much life immediately apparent, but once we started looking there was plenty to see: solenettes, dragonet, hermit crabs (diogenes pugilator busy fighting), a big sea potato. Some dead dogfish, lying together, gills all chewed up. And a few not dead.

Some nice colourful animal turf, with sea squirts etc, nudi eggs on the outer reefs on the overhangs. On the way back, very pleasant with the sun out, I took some bubble pictures, and found some spotted cowries. I've found shells on beaches and diving, but it was the first time I'd seen live ones.

Good to be here during quiet part of season. Parking reasonable, food and shops to hand. Steep hill from car park could be bit of a slog with 15l and a pony.

Babbacombe

Led Dave and Christian - their first UK shore dive; and keen to do a dive before the Pentewan weekend. Unfortunately vis not very good ~2m? We went north out from beach then in elongated loop west then east ending up north of the breakwater. Nice slow pace. Weedy, and lots of drifting weed surging back and forth, claustrophobic. Nicer out on the sand and we found some little 'islands' with life - plumose, crabs etc,.

Exmouth Dock

Just after HW, jumped off the pier with Phil and Dave Mac. Clattered down over rocks, looking for stuff. Later on picked up a thing that turned out to be a 4oz brass weight. Gloomy 2-3 metres vis. Big torch essential. Very dark below 10m.

Had IXUS with me, but rubbish replacement battery failed. Went by the overhang a couple of times. Lots of common starfish. Lots of tompots around the boulders to the south and east of the fish quay. Current strong, springly I think it was, and by the end of the dive quite glad I was well weighted.

Babbacombe

James Eagan Layne

Fine weather- apart from some sea mist- but the diving nearly didn't happen. Fortunately we were able to jump start Mir, bringing her alongside the slipway and Adrian's car. The first wave dived the JEL. I went in with Chris and although I was supposed to be leading and had an idea of going along the port side and then off to the stern section, we stayed on top and went through the wreck. But that was fine. With very good vis (8m+), I saw and was able to identify more than usual. Lots of life - as ever, and Chris found a big conger and a cuttlefish. Shortly after reaching the broken down back end Chris said he was cold and to put the blob up.

In the afternoon, I went in with Chris and Les; it was Les' first sea dive in the UK, and an opportunity for me to do a bit of teaching (brief + some of the drills). Debbie stood by with weight. Margaret and Yas were there too watching the proceedings! Then, after negotiating the rocks that shouldn't have been there, we went off for a bit of a potter. During the course of the dive we observed 'very' many species of British macroalgae. There were also a few 2-spot gobies and juvenille ballan wrasse.

A good day.