Maggs Ashton of Ilfracombe SAC found an unfamiliar nudibranch on a club dive at Lundy Island. Could it be a new species?
UKDIVING
PHOTO: MAGGS ASHTON
The unknown nudibranch
Revelation at Lundy
Maggs Ashton of Ilfracombe SAC found an unfamiliar nudibranch on a club dive at Lundy Island. Could it be a new species?
During the long hot summer of 2026, Maggs Ashton found herself at Lundy Island in her role as Duty Skipper for the day on Neptune, the club’ s Aquastar 44. She joined the second dive of the day, buddying up with Sports Diver Kelly Stride for a dive on the Robert, a coaster which sank off the east side of Lundy in 1975.
The Robert is about 50m long, its shallowest parts at 18m and the seabed at 25m; the wreck is is intact and lies on its starboard side. Maggs and Kelly had decided to stay on the upper side of the wreck after descending the shotline, then travelling along the port side of the deck to the bow, before returning along the port hull specifically looking for nudibranchs and anemones.
Maggs continues the story:“ We got about half-way back from the bow, and when I glanced ahead I saw the nudibranch a short way off. I was really excited to see such a colourful nudi – its vibrant purple and orange colours really stood out against the red weed background. The red weed seemed to be masking some small white branching, possibly hydroids, a common prey item for nudibranchs.”
The mystery nudibranch was on its own and didn’ t appear to be moving much. Maggs had observed some nudi eggs nearby, but whether they belonged to this particular slug remains an unanswered question.
28 Maggs Ashton, kitted-up Ilfracombe’ s club house Maggs at the wheel