UKDIVING
Anemone at Cape Wrath
Common octopus at Cape Wrath
I was hit by what sounded – and felt – like a sonic boom followed by an eerie resonating ring . I realised this was the swell booming into hollow places in the cliffs above – slowly but surely eroding the rock to eventually create a new sea-stack . It was turning the corner of the cave on this dive that I came suddenly face to face with a grey seal . Marvellous !
After one of these dives , three of us who had returned and on deck witnessed possibly the most desperate and urgent of situations that was clearly afflicting one
returning diver . As soon as he got to the lift platform , we heard a wail of anguish along the lines of “ I need the [ expletive deleted ] toilet NOW !”
Bursting for a pee , he looked like a large yellow demented flapping penguin in his Otter membrane suit as he trotted towards his kitting-up spot , simultaneously biting his gloves off and scrambling for the quick releases to his twin-set . We rushed to his undeniable need and within seconds had the set off his back ; the weight-belt on the deck and
Small-spotted cat shark drysuit zip open . It was a while before he emerged from the Head with a satisfied but exhausted expression across his face . Hilarious but thankfully he made it just in time . A moment longer and he ’ d have detonated .
We all wanted to make it to the St Kilda group of islands so once again we set course for Cape Wrath . There , we dived in the afternoon before rounding the towering headland to cross The Minch to a sheltered anchorage at the Outer Hebridean island of Harris .
NEXTMONTH
Will Steve and his fellow divers beat the weather and make it to St Kilda ? Find out in the concluding part of Northern Odyssey , next month in SCUBA magazine ! �
42 Cape Wrath , looking east