UKDIVING
European lobster shelters under a ledge home to sandy / muddy habitats and reefs that were created during the last ice age as glacial moraines . During the summer months , these glacial moraine reefs are bustling with life , especially some of the more southern species such as black bream Spondyliosoma cantharus and red mullet , Mullus barbatus . You may even be lucky enough to see grey triggerfish , Balisties capriscus . In recent years , sightings of warmer water species such as red mullet have become more frequent . They are a great species to watch as they move along the sea floor in search of potential prey within mud or sand where their two distinct barbels that appear like a goatee beneath help them sense the environment .
In the shallower areas of the bay , the seafloor is mainly made up of fine sand and mixed gravel and pebbles . This area is home to many of the smaller and flat species that use camouflage to blend in and avoid any of the predators that patrol these areas , such as lesser spotted
catsharks , Scyliorhinus canicula and bull huss , Scyliorhinus stellaris along with tope , Galeorhinus galeus , which are present in the area but not really seen during the dives .
In some locations , strange star shaped patterns can be found on the substrate , often surrounding a small shell such as cockle that looks like a small porch . For a while I wasn ’ t sure what had created them , but during one night dive the homeowners were discovered to be a sand gobies Pomatoschistus minutus , and common gobies , Pomatochistus microps . They watch the world from their cockle porchway , ready to dive back in if there are any signs of potential threats . Spending more time with such charming little fish species , you ’ ll get to know more about these little characters and their displays . When a potential partner
" Overall , the North Wales coastline provides something for every level of qualified diver "
is close by they ’ ll display with their fins to attract them into the their burrow , there to raise the next generation of gobies .
Overall , the North Wales coastline provides something for every level of qualified diver , which makes it a special place . Where the options of different sides of the Peninsula make it more likely to get a dive in if the winds been blowing from either the North to South . No matter how often sites are visited , it ’ s always exciting to see what will turn up . Over the years I ’ ve been fortunate to see and film a range of rare species along the coastline , spending hours below the surface . As we move into the 2024 season , I ’ m looking forward to the conditions improving again , so that I can see how our dive sites have changed and what new species may turn up . �
Red mullet , a southern species Well camouflaged plaice
40