1 SMS Dresden 2 Inga Ness 3 Noup Head 4 MV Tomalina – Noup Head 5 MV Oceania – Egalsay 6 MV Endeavour – Shapinsay 7 North Shoal 8 North Shoal 9 Eilean nan Ron 10 Eilean Cluimhraig Cave 11 Pinnacle – Eilean Cluimhraig 12 Ledges – Eilean Cluimhraig 13 Night Dive – Eilean nan Ron 14 Cape Wrath Gulley |
|
|
|
�
� � � � �
15 Am Plaistair – Soay 16 East Hirta Cliff Wall 17 Hirta Cliffs 18 Stac Lee – Boraray 19 Twin Caves – Boraray 20 Sgarbstac – Boraray 21 Kylesku Bridge Drift 22 Cape Wrath Ledges 23 Cluimhraig – Gully and Pinnacle 24 Nipple Rock – Hoy 25 Block Ship Tabarka
Isle of Lewis
|
�
� � � � � � � �
|
��
��
��
|
PART 1 PART 2
�� �� �� �� �
��
Scotland
|
Orkney Islands
�
�
��
�
� � �
��
� � �
� �
�
�
�
�
� � � �
� � �
|
��
�� �� ��
�� ��
St Kilda
� �
� � � � � �
Once committed to entering , there ’ s no choice but to go with the flow . Some made it through and in spectacular flushing style , being funnelled and spat out of the narrow end with some considerable force and arriving unexpectedly at the surface on the other side . Others managed to avoid the whole passage but were bashed about by the swell . All experienced the booming of the swell as it pocketed air above , in the cave ceiling at the entrance . Not a whole lot of life was observed , as most of the divers were busy compensating for the unrelenting swell .
Reactions to this dive varied from slightly shocked to decidedly shaken by the experience . Certainly , there was an absence of the whoops of “ awesome !” and “ best dive ever ” that had been a common après-dive appraisal .
Our next dive was on a sheer black wall bottoming out at 40m . The scenery above and below the water was awe-inspiring . So dramatic in its starkness and sheer scale . And boy , that swell ... If you weren ’ t careful to keep at least a couple of metres from the wall , the swell would rake you against it .
There was , however , a disappointing absence of life both in the water and on the wall . Nowhere near the great swathes of colour we ’ d experienced on the north coast of the mainland a few days earlier . Several grey seals came out to play around us – coming up close and nibbling fins . They were a welcome distraction to the swell , and stayed with us for quite some time .
The final dive was less frenetic but once again a lack of life in the water resulted in mild disappointment . Thankfully , the consolation seals made an appearance . According to some of the guys who had dived St Kilda 12 and 20 years ago , the life both on walls and in the water column has diminished considerably . They also remarked on great patches of a brown algae covering many of the walls – the origin of which is unknown but certainly not present 12 years ago . We took some samples for later analysis .
Cathedral worship
During the night , the boat became a refuge for around 20 petrel chicks and three adult birds . The poor things were sodden and exhausted , and must have seen the anchor lights as a haven . In the morning we gathered them all up and placed them in two big cardboard boxes with towels to dry out . We would release them all successfully safely later in the day .
Our final dives at St Kilda would be at the Isle of Boraray . This is the largest gannet nesting site in the world – and an impressive sight it is to see so many of the
The Isle of Boreray , St Kilda
33