SHETLANDSPECIAL
The conning tower of HMS E49
Ness . The seabed was reminiscent of a windswept desert . We found ourselves flying over furrows of maerl beds and coarse white sand watching armies of hermit crabs battle away . It was an uneventful dive for me up until I drifted upon the largest plaice I have ever seen . I managed to take a few pictures before it moved on , and then we drifted with the current slowly back to the surface .
Day 4 – Northern Soul
The E-49 submarine sank after hitting a mine in 1917 just outside Balta Sound . All hands perished as the sub was blown in two , making this a war grave . We had a sobering experience diving this site , trying to imagine the terror those submariners were subjected to before being engulfed by cold Atlantic water . E49 is slowly being swallowed up by the white sand it lies in . The conning tower and periscope are still visible , as are some of the gears responsible for maintaining trim . The conditions were favourable , and we did two dives on the site . It was one of the few opportunities I ’ ve had to make pictures of wrecks in the UK using available light .
With two dives under our belts , we bundled into a taxi at Baltasound , and headed to Hermaness bird sanctuary . It ’ s a haven for thousands of seabirds , all under the watchful eye of Muckle Flugga
Propeller on the Jane wreck
lighthouse , the most northern point in the UK [ Almost – the islet Out Stack just to the north has that status – Editor ]. The scenery alone is worth the price of the taxi fare , which wasn ’ t expensive in any case .
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