UK DIVING
RTop : The kelp Alaria esculenta only grows
in exposed locations with high levels of surge . So it ’ s a good indicator that it ’ s not always so calm here
WAbove : An inquisitive puffin
plays peek-a-boo with the camera
I
g hit the surface of the water with my first stage screaming out air behind my head . Not good . It didn ’ t take long for the boat crew to hear it and head over . “ Got a problem ?” asked skipper Bob Anderson , grinning as I stepped back aboard , ears ringing from the din behind my head . The other divers were about to explore an immense underwater arch but my buddy and I had to head back ; bubbles everywhere . This wasn ’ t somewhere you got to dive everyday and with stunning , flat calm conditions I wasn ’ t going to miss it . Dispensation granted to run below soaking wet , I grabbed my spare first stage from the cabin , reassembled my regs , got my cylinders topped up and 10 minutes later the archway loomed before us .
The wild Atlantic islands off northern Scotland are some of the most remote islands in Europe , offering exciting and wild diving . In summer the islands are home to thousands of seabirds and beneath the waves there is a rich profusion of marine life in clear blue seas with visibility rivalling that found anywhere else in the world .
We had signed up for a trip to the islands of North Rona and Sula Sgeir some 70 kilometres north-east of the Butt of Lewis on the Outer Hebrides . Our home and dive platform for the week was MV Halton g
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