UKDIVING
arms and covering it like a blanket, there is no chance chance to escape. Having trapped the unfortunate crustacean, they break down the hard shell with their formidable beaks.
When it comes to divers, octopus can be curious once they get comfortable with your presence and the sensory overload of your bubbles. After a bit of time and patience, individuals may come up for a closer look and perhaps even reach out with their tentacles to investigate you. Such interactions are special moments indeed, opportunities to really admire these intelligent animals.
Glow-up
Through the use of ultraviolet light( UV), you can admire a hidden aspect of some marine creatures while on night dives. Aiming a specially adapted UV torch at
A spiny lobster shelters in a crevice
" Night diving is a fine way to experience the magic of the underwater world "
certain organisms will show them glowing in rich, vibrant colours due to their natural bioluminescence.
Here in north west wales, anemones are one of the best examples of luminescence. Snakelocks anemones, Anemone viridis, are easily found. Under normal light they have a green or brown coloration, but shine a UV light in the darkness and they glow a vivid neon green. It really really stands out on a dark reef. The effect works best on the green ones.
It’ s not limited to the invertebrates; catsharks will also glow green, something that has only been observed in the last couple of years in certain shark species. Glowing up, the snakelocks anemone and small-spotted catsharks appear a vibrant green under UV light, a subtle compliment to the Northern Lights seen over Britain during 2024.
Such recent discoveries suggest that our coastal seas still hold many secrets. We continue to uncover the secret lives of marine creatures we may think of as common, but which we are only beginning to understand. For me, it’ s exciting that there is still so much to learn, and that as divers we stand a good chance of observing some new aspect of their behavior for ourselves, especially at night when the rules change.
Night diving is a fine way to experience the magic of the underwater world. Yes, what you can see is limited to the arc of your torch beam. But that serves to focus your attention, at the same time feeding your imagination – what lies in the vast darkness beyond that thin sliver of light? This is what keeps bringing me back to the North Wales coast after dark.
If you haven’ t tried night diving in the UK, then ask your Diving Officer if it can be arranged. It does carry an increased element of risk, so you do need to be prepared and trained appropriately. So seek the proper support from your club or school, choose your site carefully, have a plan and stick to it. And don’ t forget to bring at least two torches! �
The all-seeing eye of the cat shark
36 I am the claw!