Andy peers inside the mysterious hole in the harbour wall the aquatic world is a different proposition to the topside one , and beneath the surface things can be very different .
I was recently in Cornwall , an area not short of spectacular and beautiful diving locations above and below the waterline . I was camping down on the Lizard Peninsula , which is of course the setting for the famous shore diving venue , Porthkerris Cove . I wasn ’ t diving at Porthkerris , but at one of the many other little bays in the area that are open to the public .
This particular bay is dominated by an active and busy quarry , with large machinery moving stone along the imposing concrete jetty to be loaded on the large commercial ship that moors alongside regularly . Staring at the harbour wall and the hectic industrial landscape , you could be forgiven for writing it off . I would probably have done the same , had I not been persuaded by some friends who live nearby . They had local contacts who were able to establish a time to explore the submerged sections of the wall when the ship was neither in , nor had any chance of returning that day . I should reiterate that it is a public place , set against a somewhat industrial backdrop .
We set off from the shore and along the concrete wall . The vessel had recently departed and the rumble of the big diggers above passing along the harbour wall could be heard . I had suspected the waters would be churned up and visibility low . But they were clear , a good seven metres which , by UK standards , is very welcome , and the sunshine overhead sent slender shafts of light into the shallows .
The wall itself was bordered by thick kelp beds full of wrasse and spider crabs . The wall itself had shore crabs hiding in the small cracks and crevices but also appears to contain a number of small caves … and one fairly large one . Caves are always interesting to poke one ’ s head into , there always life sheltering in there .
As I jutted my head into one small cave opening , I was little startled to be met by another head , significantly larger than my own . I humbly withdrew and was followed by the owner of the other head - a sizeable male grey seal . He was followed shortly thereafter by a smaller female . They
seemed neither bothered by our uninvited presence at their front door and swam around us before disappearing off into the gloom .
Often , you can judge a dive or snorkelling site by looking at the terrestrial landscape that leads down to the submerged one . But sometimes exploring the submerged parts of even the most uninspiring of topside views can lead to some real gems . �
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