Chloe Jones shares some memories of her special place, Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset
The siphon of a netted dog whelk
Black brittlestar with unusual red colouration
The swimmers at Kimmers
Kimmeridge is special to me because I grew up there snorkelling. I qualified as a diver last year, and now I can enjoy it from a different perspective. I can enjoy the floor and fish for longer; I feel I can escape the world’ s noise without having to come up to the surface until the dive ends.
The bay is also home to many different fossils, some of them displayed in the local centre next to the sea. The seabed is made up of gravel and large rocks, home to many creatures and marine vegetation. I know not to put my fingers into the holes as one of my old instructors did it once and a lobster nipped his finger!
Another time, we had planned for our dive to be at least 30 minutes but we made it back slightly too early and swam in the rocks for the remaining 5-10 minutes, spotting all the fish as they spun through our fingers and then shot off. It can be a challenge negotiating the slippery seaweed of the slipway, but once in the water I love being there in any type of weather.
Debrief: Kimmeridge is special to me because it’ s a hidden treasure and there’ s so much to see compared to inland sites I have visited. Even on a rainy day, the visibility always seems good; everything seems happy and vibrant.
Chloe Jones shares some memories of her special place, Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset
Final Boss tompot: blenny from the block
Briefing: The dive site of my choice is Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset. It is an enclosed site, so there are seldom any large waves and usually the visibility is good. It’ s also unique because there’ s a beach on one side and a boat ramp on the other, with a slipway.
The Dive: This site is close to me because of the memories I’ ve made there; of finding a blue lobster and a devil crab, then finding the perfect shell for keepsake. I’ ve spent countless hours in the water looking at the fish and the expanse of the different coloured rocks, which are littered with seaweed and brightly coloured anemones.
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