SUBSEA Ireland’s Only Diving Magazine
WINNING IMAGES With any underwater camera
B4 Diving into D-Day Exploring the Cave of Skulls Raising La Juliana’s artefacts
Vol. 10 No. 153 Autumn 2015 ())*++"!#$,%!&-
# !!"!#$ %!&""%
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Divers on their own, Buddy pairs and Groups of all sizes welcome! Email us for details of our deals.
Contact Wendy at:
Email enquiry@safaridiving.com Web www.safaridiving.com Tel 0034 625 059 713
SUBSEA
CONTENTS
ISSN 0791 - 475X Volume 10 Number 153 Autumn 2015 5
EDITORIAL Editor's comment
5
BRIEFINGS What’s happening at home and abroad
12 NOTED IRISHMEN – VINCENT BARRY By Denny Lawlor 13 SAFETRX 2015 Latest version of the boat trip planning app 16 SIDEMOUNT HAS THE EDGE ON BCD DIVING By Ronnie Fitzgibbon
Free diver in Komodo, Indonesia. Taken by Paul Colley using a Nikon D4 with a Sigma 15mm wide angle lens. A natural light image at 20m depth. f11 at 1/250sec, ISO 1600.
Attention SubSea contributors • Submit all material to the Editor at editor@diving.ie or to Head Office • Material must arrive well in advance of the deadline. • Pictures are essential to illustrate news items and articles. • Authors must remember that they bear responsibility to ensure that material is not copied from another copyrighted publication. • Ensure that digital photos submitted are: 120 pixels/cm (300 dpi) and sized at 30cm X 21cm.
SubSea is published by the Irish Underwater Council. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Council.
The magazine is not intended as an invitation or prospectus to members of the public or other interested parties to dive on any of the sites that are mentioned in the text and anyone intending to do so should take appropriate advice with regard to the safety and viability of their proposed actions. Boarding a wreck requires the permission of the owner. Diving on a 100 year old wreck requires a permit.
Edited by: Shane Stanley
Proofreading: Peter O’Doherty Eibhir Mulqueen
Honorary Archivist: Michael Moriarty SubSea, Irish Underwater Council, 78a Patrick St., Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin. Tel: (01) 2844601. Fax: (01) 2844602. Web site: www.diving.ie E-Mail: info@diving.ie
Printed by Doggett Print & Design, Dublin. Tel: (01) 453 3151. Fax: (01) 453 3156.
20 NEED A NEW FISH BOOK? By Tim Butter 21 CAPTURING THE UNDERWORLD By Daragh Muldowney 26 LA JULIANA By Fionnbarr Moore, Karl Brady, Connie Kelleher, John Moody and Nora Haugh 34 CFT NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY COURSE By Claire Kavanagh 35 WINNING IMAGES WITH ANY UW CAMERA By Paul Colley 39 NUDIBRANCH WORKSHOP By Tony O’Callaghan 41 DEEP INTO THE CAVE OF SKULLS By Andy Torbet 44 DIVING INTO YOUR HOLIDAY READ Book review
Advertising: Sarah Campbell
Typesetting and Design: Bernard Kaye
17 WWII BENEATH THE WAVES By Catherine Connors
45 UNDER THE SEA By Val Robus Affiliated to
47 CLUB SPOTLIGHT Ennis Sub Aqua Club by Tom Fitzpatrick 51 MART AND EXCHANGE
CMAS
Spring 2016 Issue Deadline All articles for inclusion in the next issue of SubSea should be sent to the editor before December 20th. All advertising should be sent to CFT Head Office before December 20th.
SubSea Autumn 2015
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EL HIERRO
DIVE HOLIDAYS – EL HIERRO DEPARTURE DATES – 2016
A magic, undiscovered little gem of an island on the western edge of the Canary archipelago. Only 25 miles long but 5,000ft high it has an extraordinary diversity of scenery from green fields and stonewalls like the west of Ireland, up on the plateau, through beautiful pine and laurel forests and vineyards down to fertile coastal plains awash with bananas, pineapples, papayas and cereals. The people are extremely friendly and there is zero crime on the island. There are no Irish bars, no English bars, no fast food joints, no golf courses, no snakes or mosquitoes - and hardly any tourists. In fact no nasties at all! The scenic driving and hill walking are both dramatic and amazing so it is idyllic for the non-diving spouse who values peace and quiet and an utterly relaxing holiday in the sun.
“OUR FLEET”
We have 4 vehicles and anyone who wishes can take a car for a drive around the island or to nearby swimming spots. The picture shows “our fleet” of two x 8seater Toyotas, a 5-seater Mercedes and a 4-seater Mercedes, parked beneath the apartments, overlooking the harbour in La Restinga. Those of you who were with us in the early days may mourn the passing of our old 11 -seater Land Rover but you will find these cars a lot more comfortable!
THE DIVING The best diving in all of Spain. The Spanish Open U/W Photography Competition (a major, heavily sponsored event) has been held here for the last 16 years! Probably the best diving in all of
Book your Ryanair flights to Tenerife on the designated date. I collect you at Tenerife airport and we transfer to a hotel in the nearby resort of Los Cristianos from where we depart by fast ferry next day to El Hierro. With the exception of the March 5th holiday, we travel back on Sunday evening to the bright lights of Tenerife before flying home Monday. Departure dates: ■ Monday 22 Feb ■ Saturday 5 Mar ■ Monday 14 Mar ■ Monday 4 Apr ■ Monday 5 May ■ Monday 10 Oct ■ Monday 17 Oct Euro-land. It is, after all, the most southerly (28 degrees) and the most westerly (18 degrees) point in Europe. Temperatures are tropical and the Ocean is 25 degrees in autumn so there is abundant Oceanic and tropical life, particularly in the Marine Reserve, situated in The “Mar de Las Calmas” or tranquil sea, an area of several square miles completely protected from the prevailing NE winds by huge cliffs. The seascape is spectacular with dramatic dropoffs, caves and pinnacles. Depths are daunting with 3,000m not far offshore. Visibility is 30m plus and the sea is a vivid blue. The variety and abundance of marine life is exceptional.
■ Monday 8 Nov ■ Monday 22 Nov
HOLIDAY COST The diving holiday price which includes all transfers and transport; all ferries; all accommodation and ten boat dives with tanks, air, weights and dive guide is €625. Non divers and hill walkers (5 days guided walking) travel for just €425.
SPECIAL OFFER Quote this special ad and get €50 discount (Divers: €575 and Non- divers & hill
LA RESTINGA The tiny fishing village at the southern tip of the island which is our base for the week; our lovely apartments are on the little promenade overlooking the harbour. Everything is within a couple of minutes’ walk - the Dive Centre, “El Bar” the little “supermercado” and the 5 very good restaurants (fresh fish every day). There are safe and simple swimming and snorkelling spots and the outdoor dining and wining under the stars are memories to cherish.
walkers: €375)
INFORMATION If you wish to give me a postal address I can send you the information leaflet Contact me on e-mail at any time if you have questions or queries. Good Diving! Shane
BRIEFINGS EDITORIAL Welcome fellow divers and snorkelers alike to another edition of Subsea. As daylight declines and yet another season slowly subsides, I do hope you will enjoy perusing over the contents with the coming of the winter months. We take a look back at some of this year’s events, such as the very well organised South East Dive Rally hosted by Hook SAC and the Longford Fun Fin Swim at Richmond Harbour, Clondra, Co. Longford. We find out whether Andy Torbet, (a guest speaker who stole the show at Dive Ireland 2013 in Kilkenny), who in my view treads a fine line between bravery and insanity, achieved his ambitions deep in the Cave of Skulls in Scotland. We explore wrecks from WW2 with Catherine Connors as well as some fantastic photography contributions from Paul Colley, organiser of the British & Irish Underwater Photography Competition, and Daragh Muldowney, who guides us through his adventures to Greenland to photograph “the majestic and sublime beauty of ice”. Tom Fitzpatrick of Ennis SAC tells us all about his beloved club and their favourite dive sites along the Co. Clare coastline. The Underwater Archaeology Unit aided by Sligo SAC reveal the fruits of their relentless work in Steedagh on the Spanish Armada wreck, La Juliana, and we have much more besides. The times, they are a changing! A recent chat with a learned friend has opened my eyes to how the world of photography has changed over the past number of years and as editor of Subsea, I am beginning to see how competitive it has become. Subsea magazine is regarded by many as a high-quality publication and photography is of course a huge part of it. It has been the editorial policy for many years that the cover photo for the magazine be selected from one of the featured articles in the publication and there is no reason why that should change. So what’s the problem you might ask! The problem is the selection process which is used in order to decide which photo is used on the cover. Due to a large increase in photographers coupled with a vast improvement in variety and quality of images being produced, we feel it is important to outline our editorial policy so as to avoid any misperceptions or mystery surrounding the criteria by which a photo is chosen for the coveted cover slot. It has become vividly clear over the last number of months just how important it is for a photographer to have his/her photograph displayed on the front cover of a national magazine and there is no doubt that this is an excellent way for them to showcase their talents. In an initiative to try and add a competitive edge to being awarded the cover photo, contributors of articles accompanied by images will not be made aware that their photo has made the cover of Subsea until it lands on their doorstep. It is simply not feasible for us to promise a contributor a cover photo in order for us to be granted permission to use their accompanying written article. In addition, a photo will only be selected for the cover if it is an image that is itself of a high enough photographic standard to be worthy of a cover image and is directly and obviously related to the article in a way that shows a clear link to either context or narrative from the image or both. Lastly, we can only select an image to place on the cover if it is in portrait format with negative space into which the magazine title and other wording can be placed. I am very much open to discussion and indeed criticism on this subject via email on editor@diving.ie and I look forward to same. A huge thanks to everyone who submitted articles for this edition and to those who helped put it all together, and I eagerly await your submissions for our spring edition. Thank you so much and dive safe. Shane Stanley, Editor
Louise Gilligan 10 Years with CFT
CFT General Manager, Louise Gilligan receiving gifts from the executive committee, presented to her by National Snorkelling Officer, Martine McCarthy
In July of 2005, CFT took a large step towards improving services to their members by employing a full time member of staff, none other than our very own Louise Gilligan. At the time, little did Louise know that ten years on she would still be here taking our calls, organising course materials and keeping us up to date with what’s going on. I think it is fair to say that CFT would not be the organisation it is today without her constant determination to bring us to new heights. So to mark this landmark milestone, a presentation was made to Louise by the members of the Executive on behalf of the members, past and present, thanking her for her never ending hard work, commitment and patience with us. Let’s hope we have her for at least another ten years. Go raibh míle maith agat Louise! SubSea Autumn 2015
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BRIEFINGS
Snorkel Adventure by Gearoid McCarthy Last Thursday I had the privilege of attending the weekly snorkel training session for the junior members of Athlone SAC. Also in attendance were members of Shannonside SAC. Training starts at the clubhouse on the banks of the river Shannon, where the members snorkel from the clubhouse to the town centre quay about 2km downstream. Supervision and cover is provided by senior members of the club both in the water and with two boats. At the town centre quay, the snorkelers practice their entry skills as well as duck-diving to recover any artefacts they can find. Following the in-water session it was a quick boat trip back to the clubhouse for a hot shower and a quick cup of tea. To mark this occasion, we launched the new ‘Snorkel Badges’ booklet. This booklet is aimed at the junior members of the organisation. The aim of the ‘Snorkel Badge’ is to help clubs keep junior members entertained and educated about our marine environment. The topics covered are: Marine Life Water Safety Emergencies Ropes & Knots Boat Equipment Tides First Aid Navigation These topics can be covered in a classroom session but are better delivered as a practical session with a ‘hands on’ type discussion with feedback from the junior members being used to determine if the topic is fully understood. On completion of each topic the Instructor signs the relevant section of the logbook. The Club then provide a self-adhesive label for insertion into the logbook. When all topics are covered to the satisfaction of the Instructor, a ‘badge’ will be awarded to the student. These badges are designed to adhere to clothing such as polo-shirts or sports bags. Materials for the various elements as well as log-books will be available to download from the CFT website. If you would like to get further information or discuss this exciting new ‘badge’ please contact our National Snorkelling Officer, Martine McCarthty at nso@diving.ie or on 0867968852. ◼
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Photos by Gearoid Mc Carthy.
From L-R Bernard Larkin, NSO Martine Mc Carthy, John Heffernan and David Campbell. Photo by Gearoid Mc Carthy.
BRIEFINGS
Capturing that kidnapped feeling A former Sligo diver’s terrifying ordeal at the hands of modern day pirates is related in a forthcoming book
Photo by Mathesius (Dollarphotoclub.com).
On February 1, 2008, Fred Parle from County Sligo became the first Irishman in recent years to be captured by modern day pirates. The chief engineer on a Danish registered tugboat, the adventurous 67year-old had come out of retirement for one last voyage and was sailing off the coast of Somalia when the boat was boarded by a ruthless gang of African pirates. Wielding automatic rifles and rocket propelled grenades, the pirates forced Parle at gunpoint to sail to a secluded cove where, alongside his British captain and four Russian crewmates, he was held hostage for nearly two months. Over the next 50 days, a dangerous cat and mouse game was played out as the pirates negotiated a massive ransom from the ship’s owners while avoiding the US Navy which had sent a warship to the area to rescue the prisoners. Meanwhile his family at home – his wife Deirdre and their four sons – struggled with the knowledge that there was a chance they would never see their loved one again. With their lives constantly in danger, Parle and his crewmates began to doubt they would survive at the hands of their captors. Parle feared he and his companions were “dead meat” when the pirates forced him to lie face down on the deck. “I lay there thinking we were all dead”, he recalled. “I said a few prayers and left it to the man above.
“The pirates were pretty ruthless. They didn’t have much English and usually communicated by gesturing with their guns.” Despite the threat of imminent death, Parle tried to keep up the morale of frightened crewmates while attempting to keep the pirates calm. Prayer, a sense of humour and knowledge of the great Roy Keane were some of the things which helped pull him through. Unable to speak their language, the only way Parle could communicate with them was through a shared love of soccer. The pirates respected Parle’s nationality as they were big fans of Keane and admired the tough reputation of the tempestuous Irishman. There were other lighter moments as captors and captives gradually accepted their futures were inextricably linked, and Parle would play dominoes with the pirates to keep spirits up. In ‘Captured! One man’s terrifying ordeal at the hands of modern day pirates’ Fred Parle recalls the terrifying moment when the ship was boarded and the resulting weeks of torture of not knowing if they were going to live another day. This story is a shocking account of a scourge of the seas that is relatively unknown in this part of the world but which is becoming a major international issue.
The waters off the coast of Somalia in particular are considered to be some of the most treacherous in the world for piracy. With no effective government in the war torn east African nation for over 18 years, pirates there are able to operate with almost total immunity. When the story first broke in Ireland earlier this year, it generated significant media interest but, due to the sensitivity regarding a massive ransom paid by the ship’s owners to secure the release of the men, Parle was unable to tell his story. Until now. Fred Parle is a modern day adventurer who has sailed around all the major oceans of the world. Well known in seafaring circles, he was a co-founder of the popular Sligo Sub-Aqua Club in the early 1970s before he embarked on a life of adventure on the high seas. He once sailed 9,000 miles from Chile to Nigeria in a small tug and had returned home from Australia, where he had lived for many years, to retire when he agreed to take on the job as chief engineer of the ‘Svitzer Korsakov’ on its maiden voyage from St Petersburg in Russia to its new owners in Japan for one last trip. He is now prepared to tell the full, amazing story of exactly what happened on that fateful voyage. ‘Captured! One man’s terrifying ordeal at the hands of modern day Pirates’ is told in the words of Fred Parle and is a first-person account of the ordeal. ◼
SubSea Autumn 2015
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BRIEFINGS
South East Dive Rally 2015 Review by Dearbhla Walsh
View of the campsite from Hook SAC’s club house. Photo by Dearbhla Walsh.
The third annual South East Dive Rally took place on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of July. The rally is a collaborative event between the four scuba diving clubs based in the South East, Hook, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford. The rally was again based in Slade Harbour at the Hook Sub Aqua Club’s club house. Despite the strong winds it was another fantastic success. This year’s event attracted the largest numbers yet. Over 160 divers and their families came to dive the beautiful waters of the South East. The rally kicked off Friday morning for all the early birds with a dive to the Western Rock, a beautiful scenic dive with highlights such as sea fans and crayfish. Divers returned delighted with what they had seen. The afternoon dive took a bunch of excited divers to The Big Rock, another amazing scenic dive known for its dolphins and varied sea life. But the dives were not over yet and that evening boats set out to the Girl Arlene. This is a breathtaking wreck dive surrounded by poor cod, ling and lobsters. It was a late night for many, as some divers arrived to the campsite, right beside the Hook Sub Aqua club’s club house, in to the early hours of Saturday. Many even managed to squeeze in a shore dive in Churchtown before dark. That night the club house kitchen was full of
Divers returning to shore on Hook SAC’s boat. Photo by Dearbhla Walsh.
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dive stories as guests enjoyed tea and apple tart generously sent along Paganini Deserts. The sound of the compressor and the smell of sausages filled the air on Saturday morning, however the wind had picked up and morning dives had to be postponed for several hours. Thankfully the sun came out to shine on us and spirits in the campsite were high. Dives did go ahead in the afternoon. Brave clubs such as Kilkenny, UCD and Viking among others brought equally brave divers to sites such a Big Rock, Pollock Rock and Western Rock. By late afternoon scores of hungry divers were returning to the club house, some of whom were a little worse for wear, following the rough seas. They returned to a tasty BBQ supplied by Chris. Divers tucked into gourmet burgers, chicken tenders and fresh salads. Once fed and watered, it was back to the business of diving. The afternoon dive by the Hook Club went to the Lismore. A fantastic wreck dive 40m below the surface. This wreck is surrounded by Pollock, Cod and several conger eels. That evening, the party really got started in Templers Inn with the hotly contested South East Dive Rally Table Quiz. Competition was fierce with over 20 teams competing for prizes. Later on the music got going and so did the banter. The dancing continued long into the night and spirits were high as divers were dropped back to their tents. Thankfully diving didn’t begin too early on Sunday morning. Hook dive officer, Dave Hearne gave his diving brief to a packed clubhouse. Although the winds had died down sea conditions were still choppy. Divers headed back to sites such as the Girl Arlene, Big Rock and Western Rock. By afternoon the sun was shining and the water was calm enough for some shore dives in Tower Hole. Crowds had gathered
along the water’s edge to wave the divers off as they disappeared under the light house. Even though many were starting to pack their gear and head home, one of the biggest events of the weekend was yet to come, The Vincent O’Brien Memorial Photo Competition. The event has four categories and encourages divers to submit photos taken at the rally of both above and below the waves. A large crowd had gathered to see all the submitted photos and to find out who the winners were. The standard of entry was particularly high and winning photos were well deserved. By late afternoon the camp site was beginning to empty. Weary divers started their long treks home with great memories of the south east. Despite the choppy seas and difficult diving conditions, a great weekend was had by all. We would like to thank all those involved in the rally and who helped to make the weekend such a great success. Hook Sub Aqua would especially like to thank all those who attended the rally and left the club house and surrounding grounds in pristine condition. Next year’s South East Dive Rally will take place on July 15th 16th and 17th 2016. Hope to see you all there!!!! ◼
Interested onlookers watch divers prepare for a shore dive under the famous Hook Lighthouse. Photo by Dearbhla Walsh.
BRIEFINGS
If Carlsberg did Underwater Hockey Weekends… this would be it! stubbornly defended for the first 5 minutes of the game. We eventually beat them 4-0 but it was hard work. Team Hydra went on to draw 0-0 with their rivals in Poland, Team Walenie. So one draw and seven wins put us into the Final as hot favourites against Team Walenie with their two draws and six wins. 20 minutes of open, fast but physical play followed with team Dublin finally breaking the defence and hearts of our Polish hosts with a final score line of 3-0 to Dublin. After twenty five years playing UW Hockey our first club tournament victory has been registered. All that was left to do was retire to the beautiful medieval city of Wroclaw to start the party! ◼ Picture L-R back row. Dave Aherne, Ron Phoenix, Ciaran McMullan, William Jagoe & Gergo Kalnoki Kneeing: Karl Dempsey, Hugh Nolan & Kevin Chisholm. Photographed by Karl Dempsey
Come to Poland and play in the “Aqua Battle” in Trzebnicki, was the invite on Facebook and the Dublin Underwater Hockey team said why not. For the last few years Ciaran McMullan (Dublin Captain) has been saying that Polish Underwater Hockey is growing at an average of three new teams per year and we had to see if they were up to our challenge. The competition itself was held in a stainless steel 25 metre by 15 metre pool making it possibly the strangest pool surface I had ever seen. A total of eight Polish teams took on an assortment of Dublin players plus the odd Cork man (William
Jagoe) and two travelling Ozzies of Irish extraction (Kevin Chisholm and Ron Phoenix). We had no idea what to expect and were rudely awakened in our second game when the Walenie team gave us a lesson in the physical pressure game they play, to draw 1-1. After a quick team meeting we reorganised our play to win all of our remaining games convincingly, with the exception of the game we played against the Hydra Team who held us out of their goal which they SubSea Autumn 2015
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BRIEFINGS
COUNTY LONGFORD SCUBA DIVERS FIN-SWIM by Martine McCarthy
On Saturday 15th of August all roads led to Richmond Harbour, Clondra, Co. Longford for the annual ‘Fin-Swim’ organised by County Longford SCUBA Divers. The chief organiser behind this great event was Rose Kane with her army of volunteers. The event was well supported with CFT members from County Longford SCUBA Divers, Athlone SAC, Viking SAC and Cork SAC. There were even a couple who travelled from England that took part.
Weather on the day was kind with reports suggesting that the water temperature was warmer than last year. Following the swim, hot food was provided by way of a BBQ, with the food being prepared by the staff of the Richmond Inn. A few words of thanks were given by Rose to all those in attendance for their support. This was then followed by a presentation of certificates to all participants by the National Snorkelling Officer, Martine McCarthy ably assisted by Bernard Larkin, Regional Snorkelling Officer for the Midlands. ◼
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BRIEFINGS
Dive Ireland International 2016 Saturday March 5th and Sunday March 6th
Athlone Sub Aqua Club will host the 2016 Dive Ireland and CFT AGM at the Hodson Bay Hotel, which is ideally located just outside the town of Athlone, with the majestic Lough Ree at its front door. This is the fourth occasion that Athlone SAC have held this event, the previous three successful occasions all held in the Hodson Bay Hotel. Athlone Sub Aqua Club last held the CFT AGM and Dive show in 2013 and plans are to have a show that is just as successful if not more so than our previous hosting’s Athlone is renowned for its location on the banks of the River Shannon, which flows through the town centre. Lough Ree just north of the town is one of the largest lakes on the Shannon and Lakeland’s Region and provides the perfect location for water activities such as angling, cruising, water skiing, scuba diving, snorkeling, wind surfing and sailing. The town is easily accessed by rail and road and with ever improving national and
local infrastructure is within a short driving distance of Dublin, Galway, Shannon and Knock airports. Many of the amenities such as shopping, pubs, restaurants, hotels and theatres are located in the town centre which makes it an ideal location to visit for leisure or business. Athlone Sub Aqua Club looks forward to hosting both a successful and enjoyable weekend and hopes to see you there. Keep an eye on the Dive Ireland Facebook account and the Dive Ireland page on diving.ie for more details. We already have a lot of trades booked in and are putting together a comprehensive talk series that we hope caters to all tastes. ◼ SubSea Autumn 2015
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Noted Irishmen by Denny Lawlor
Vincent Barry 1908 - 1975 In our series on noted Irishmen we have found a man who is credited with having saved the lives of more than 15 million people after developing a cure for leprosy.
Vincent Barry was born in Cork in 1908. He was a bright child with a huge passion for science. He won a scholarship to University College Dublin where he gained a first class honours degree in organic chemistry. When he left university, he worked at University College Galway for 10 years as assistant to Professor Thomas Dillon before moving to back to Dublin in 1943. He took a job with the Medical Research Council investigating chemotherapy of tuberculosis. He was a distinguished chemist whose research aided the development of important drugs in the treatment of tuberculosis and human leprosy which are still used to this day. Tuberculosis was a common disease in the 1940s, but during Barry’s time at the Medical Research Council, it became more manageable. It was then that Barry turned his attention to leprosy. He built on the work of Norwegian scientist, Gerhard Hansen. In the 1870s, Hansen had discovered that leprosy was caused by bacteria and was not hereditary as people had believed at the time. Barry realised that although the symptoms are very different, the bacteria that
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causes leprosy is very similar to the bacteria that causes TB. He started to look at how his research on TB could be applied to leprosy. For centuries, all that could be offered to someone with leprosy was a compassionate touch and sincere prayers. There was no way to medically stop the spread of infection or mitigate the risk of deformities. Dr Barry traveled to India to the Mission to Lepers, founded by a fellow Irishman, Wellesley Cosby Bailey back in the 1870s, and also to Zimbabwe visiting leper colonies and speaking to leprosy officers to learn as much as he could about the disease. He knew he was close to finding a cure and meeting these people fuelled his desire to help them. Back in Dublin in a laboratory at Trinity College, he led a team of scientists who synthesised a compound called B663 (Clofazimine). Clofazimine would become part of a multi drug treatment (MDT) for leprosy sufferers. In the early 1970s Stanley McElhinney, a County Donegal man and member of Dr Barry’s team, led the negotiations with the Indian Government to introduce clofazimine.
The World Health Organisation made clofazimine a mandatory part of the multi drug treatment of leprosy in 1981, six years after Barry’s death. The MDT also included dapsone and rifampicin. People suffering a severe form of leprosy would be completely cured after a two year course of the drug. People with a milder form would only need a six month course. Since the drug was introduced, leprosy cases across the world have plummeted and we can realistically expect the disease to be eradicated within the next 30 years. In 2008, the Leprosy Mission held an event at Dublin’s Royal Irish Academy in honour of the 100th anniversary of Dr. Barry’s birth. “The team was not interested in fame or fortune, their goal was simply to make the drug available in the developing world”. Ken Gibson, chief executive officer of The Leprosy Mission said “It was all very low key… this was an extraordinary, quiet revolution”. A large crowd, including the President, Dr Cearbhall O Dalaigh attended his funeral in Dublin. He was well known and respected by many. ◼
SafeTrx 2015
Photo by Paul Kelly Studio 3 (Copyright © pkstudio3.com).
Designed in close co-operation with Coast Guard and Sea Rescue organisations, SafeTrx provides boat users, who don’t have or use AIS on board with a cheap, easy, automated and reliable means to keep the Search and Rescue (SAR) authorities informed of their voyage plans and dynamic location. The application is a fully automated, proven, cost effective and easy to use solution. Now the standard solution in mobile application vessel tracking in Ireland, the UK, Australia, Spain, South Africa and the Netherlands, SafeTrx takes the search out of search and rescue. SafeTrx 2015 is the latest version of the application and it will be rolled out in Ireland later this summer. We have collaborated with SAR organisations to shape the technical and operational aspects of ‘SafeTrx 2015’, which we believe offers significant functional enhancements to the existing proven platform. Key to SafeTrx 2015 is the inclusion of a new Track Only mode, which broadens the use of SafeTrx to the cohort of the boating community that prefers a ‘quick start’ mode to the traditional Sail Plan mode. The new Distress and Assistance Call feature allows boaters to quickly make a distress call from within the application. A major focus in SafeTrx 2015 is to improve boater trip planning. With this in mind, the SafeTrx app now has the ability to display ENC data and can include location-based Live Weather
data. Both are powerful new features to facilitate trip preparation. The addition of Personalised Checklists promotes further awareness of safety by encouraging the boater to create and review a list of checklist items prior to departure. Boaters ending a Sail Plan with SafeTrx 2015 will now be prompted to notify their emergency contacts that they have successfully arrived at their destination. SafeTrx 2015 has a Mobile Logbook feature allowing the user to store up to 20 trips, which can subsequently be replayed within the app in video playback mode. And finally, SMS Donate adds fundraising capabilities within the application. The Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) is the launch customer for the 2015 version of SafeTrx and it has been a great success.
A very successful social media campaign lead to thousands of Dutch boat owns and water sport enthusiasts downloading and registering within days of the launch. With both Sail Plan and Track Only modes, the application has proven popular with the nonGMDSS community - kayakers, canoeists, dinghy’s, single fishermen in boats, hire boats, jetskis etc. Within two weeks of the launch, the app was used in its first rescue in the Netherlands. A boat owner, adrift without engine power, used the new emergency button in the app to trigger an alert. The Coast Guard was able to locate the vessel using the SafeTrx monitoring console and dispatch a KNRM Lifeboat to render immediate assistance. A great result! Branded KNRM Helpt (Dutch for Helps), the app is available both in Dutch and English, and is a key element SubSea Autumn 2015 13
SafeTrx
From L-R: Minister Simon Coveney, Nessa Malone, Product Manager, DeCare Systems Ireland, and John Murphy, General Manager, DeCare Systems Ireland. Photo by Paul Kelly Studio 3 (Copyright © pkstudio3.com).
to KRNM’s new prevention program “Veilig uit, veilig thuis” (Safe at Sea, Safe at Home) targeted at boaters to provide a tool aimed at improving safety. Roemer Boogaard, Managing Director of KNRM, commented, “We think we can make an important contribution to the safety of Netherlands watersport end users by offering them the KNRM Helpt application. The KNRM Helpt app is free to all watersporters.” Recognition of the value of the product is also hitting the mainstream. In the past few months the application picked up a number of awards in the US and in Ireland. In the US, the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) recently awarded SafeTrx the Silver Award of Distinction in the category for ‘Best Navigation/Maps on a Mobile App’ on behalf of the 2015 Communicator Awards. In addition, the SafeTrx website won Gold Award of Excellence for ‘Best Activist Website’. In Ireland, SafeTrx picked up the Innovation in Maritime Safety Award at the inaugural Maritime Industry Awards 2015. This award is a further
14 SubSea Autumn 2015
boost to its stellar profile and a gold plated testament to the skill and dedication of the product team. The Innovation in Maritime Safety Award category requirement states that: Safety of life and protection of the maritime environment are at the forefront of priorities for all companies, institutions and organisations that operate in the maritime domain. It is imperative that continuous improvements in safety are advanced in line with modern designs for vessels, installations and maritime infrastructure. This award will recognise the individual, company or organisation which has made a significant contribution to improving maritime safety or the protection of the maritime environment. Such contribution can have been made either by a specific activity or over a period of time.
The last few months have seen the adoption increase with both the Svenska Sällskapet för Räddning af Skeppsbrutne (Swedish Sea Rescue
Society) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger (German Maritime Search and Rescue Association) deciding to implement SafeTrx. Speaking on behalf of the DGzRS, Udo Helge Fox, Executive Director of the DGzRS, commented; “SafeTrx gives rescue services access to data the skippers provide themselves as long as they are in range of a mobile network. In case of an emergency, the MRCC can use the stored data to support search missions. Sometimes the information we get on missing leisure boats is very poor. We are sure that SafeTrx can help to close this gap and will be of great support to locate people who need assistance, and it will minimize false alerts from family members that we often get if crews are overdue.” The non-profit Swedish Sea Rescue Society has a strong reputation for innovation in maritime SAR and has chosen to proceed with the implementation of SafeTrx as part of that strategy. The SSRS will seek to use SafeTrx to help promote safe and responsible recreational boating on the
SafeTrx
Photo by Paul Kelly Studio 3 (Copyright © pkstudio3.com).
Swedish coast and on the major inland lakes. Speaking on behalf of the SSRS, Mikael Hinnerson, Head of Research and Development said; “We hope that SafeTrx will help to enhance safety for water users along Sweden’s long coastline, with its many archipelagos, as well as on many inland lakes”. SafeTrx was one of the technologies that featured in the SAREX MONALISA 2.0 Mass Rescue Operation (MRO), which took place in Valencia, Spain. Lead by Salvamento
Marítimo (the Spanish Maritime Safety Agency), the large-scale SAR exercise simulated a fire caused by a mechanical failure on a large passenger vessel in transit from Palma De Mallorca to Valencia. SafeTrx was used to identify nearby vessels of opportunity that could assist in the MRO. A Red Cross vessel running the SafeTrx software simulated a passing vessel in the exercise offering assistance to the SAR response. MONALISA 2.0 is a European-wide
Photo by Paul Kelly Studio 3 (Copyright © pkstudio3.com).
Maritime project, including 39 partners from 10 countries. SafeTrx is free to download and use in Ireland and is available as ‘ISA SafeTrx’ in the Google Play and Apple App Stores. ◼
SubSea Autumn 2015 15
Sidemount has the edge on BCD diving Text and photos by Ronnie Fitzgibbon After a lifetime of diving with Buoyancy Control Devices (BCD), I started sidemount diving last year. From the get go I was hooked on this way of diving. Sidemount diving is where you place two tanks under your armpits in line with your body, attached to a harness with a bladder for buoyancy and two regulators, one on each tank. The first thing I noticed was my position in the water. My head was more upward giving me a better view of the dive. My stability was more obvious and my movement was much easier. As I dived along, watching my air reducing in each tank, swapping from one regulator to the other, the feeling of safety was very comforting. Knowing that I had a built-in bailout in my sidemount system is a big advantage for me over the traditional back-mount system. Safety advantages over the BCD in sidemount diving include: • There are two tanks and regulators separate from each other, so there is bailout in your system. • Problems can be dealt with more easily as your valves and regulators are to hand, so, for example, freeflow can either be shut down or you can feather the valve by opening and closing it.
16 SubSea Autumn 2015
• Valves are protected from damage as they are under your armpits. Now that I have mastered the sidemount, I can hold my decompression and safety stops to the inch. Six metres is six metres. With great ease in the horizontal position, deploying a SMB is a simple task as the stability is much more noticeable using sidemount. Most BCD divers complete their safety stop in the vertical position which, in theory, is not best practice. Moving sidemount equipment around is also much easier than BCD equipment, as your weight is reduced by over half. With a BCD, I would use 12 kg of lead as opposed to 4kg on sidemount. The extra tank makes up for the reduced weight. The bottles I prefer to use are 7L 300 bar ones, which are just about as long as my torso, so fit in quite comfortably from armpit to hip. So what brands of equipment are out there to buy? You have Apeks, Xdeep Razor, Seacsub, Scubapro and Diverite to mention just a few. My preferred choice was the WSX Apeks sidemount wing and Apeks sidemount regulator set. Apeks is a company that I have used all my life and I have to say, I rate them the best at what is out there at the moment.
So, what’s the disadvantage of sidemount diving? Cost is a big factor as a sidemount wing can range from €475 to €735 and a reg set can range up to €1000, plus the added charge of servicing each year of regs. Sidemount is here to stay. For sure, it will play a part in our sport, but in my opinion, it will not overtake the BCD, first, because of cost, and second, instructing will always be easier with the BCD system. But it will remain popular for experienced divers, tech divers and cave divers. Over the coming months, I will be running courses on sidemount, so if you’re interested, give me a call at the Waterworld Dive Centre, Castlegregory, Co Kerry. Tel. 0667139292. ◼
WWII beneath the Waves Diving into D-Day
by Catherine Connors Susan B. Anthony bow gun. Photo by Peter Brady.
A visit to Normandy gives a real sense of WWII, the impact of D-Day and the devastation that occurred once those brave young allied soldiers stepped onto the sands of Normandy that faithful morning. Today Normandy is rebuilt, wellmanicured roundabouts welcome visitors into beautifully rebuilt towns and villages, informative museums are numerous, thriving restaurants offer the tastes of Normandy, a walk through the cemeteries will leave a lasting impression of the lives lost during WWII, and a stroll down the DDay beaches is haunting. But come to the water’s edge and look over the waves off Normandy, for just below lies the remains of the largest maritime invasion in history, WWII lies on the seabed off Normandy frozen in time and slowly sinking into the sands of history. The points of Wrecks and wreckage lying off the coast of Normandy runs well over a 1000, below the waterline
troop carriers, cargo ships, hospital ships, LCT’s, tanks, destroyers, minesweepers etc all lie as they sank 71 years before. To dive in Normandy is to dive straight into history. Last September I had the pleasure of diving with members of the Kish SAC, Dublin. Peter Brady, Pat Normile and John Bolger came to France to take part in a multinational dive week I organized to dive and record several wrecks off Normandy in remembrance of the 70th anniversary of D-Day. “I saw it as an opportunity to see for myself the massive undertaking by the allies to regain a foothold back in Europe, whilst the structures on land are well documented and photographed the story under the
water is still at best only half written. The opportunity to dive some of these wrecks off the landing beaches does not present itself very often so I took the opportunity without hesitation and with both hands” – John Bolger One of those wrecks was the U.S.S. Susan B Anthony, Displacement 8,193 t. Length 605’ 2” Beam 63’ 6” Draft 25’ Speed 18 kts. Armament - one single 5”/38 dual purpose gun mount and four single 3”/50 dual purpose gun mounts Propulsion - steam turbine, and on a clear and bright morning in September the quartet of Irish divers (along with African diver Kevin Bamara and French diver Michel Piguet) headed out from the dock at the Pont en Besson with a French SubSea Autumn 2015 17
Susan B. Anthony
USS Susan B. Anthony in 1943. Photo courtesy of US National archives.
USS Susan B. Anthony – present day. Photo by Catherine Connors.
Another view of the wreck. Photo by Catherine Connors.
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Federation club to dive, what is considered, one of the most impressive wrecks of WWII. The U.S.S. Susan B Anthony was built at the New York Shipbuilding Company in New Jersey and was launched in 1930. She started her glorious days as a passenger/cargo liner, the S.S. Santa Clara. On the 7th of August 1942 she was transferred to the U.S. Navy and was converted into a troop carrier. Renamed the Susan B Anthony she started her very active service for WWII, taking part in several trips to North Africa loaded with troops and equipment. She also took part in the campaign against Sicily in August 1943. From August 1943 she would spend the next 10 months travelling between England and the US transporting troops and supplies in preparation for Operation Overlord. Her final voyage started from Newport loaded with 2,288 troops and crew on board to cross the channel in the direction of Omaha Beach. Making her way under the cover of darkness that faithful morning of the 7th of June, 1944 she struck a mine at 8.20am under the No. 4 hold. With the ship taking an immediate eight degree list to starboard, Commander T.L. Gray ordered the troops to move to the port side which brought the ship onto an even keel. He also ordered the troops to prepare themselves for entry into the water and many of the troops stripped themselves of heavy equipment and their boots. An American tug arrived in the hope to tow the ship to the safety of shallow water but a fire in the engine/fire rooms made this impossible, a firefighting tug came alongside to try and control the fire, and hopefully allow enough time for the troops and crew to escape onto a landing craft. Less than 2 hours later, at 10.10am, the Susan B Anthony lost her grip with the surface and dropped below the waves off Normandy to her final resting place. She didn’t take a single soul with her and is one of the few wrecks off Normandy that sank with no loss of life. The troops then made their way to the beaches, re-kitted themselves from those who had died there and went to war. The Susan B Anthony lies between 26 to 30 meters in two pieces, she rests off shore approximately 7 and a half miles North of Port en Besson. She lies East/West on its port side standing almost 10 meters proud in parts, diving in good visibility means that the larger sections of the wreck are possible to penetrate, however it should be noted that this is only for those qualified to do so and will depend on the discretion of the dive director. The bow section is still in excellent condition with the teak decking and portholes
Susan B. Anthony
Divers explore the wreck of the Susan B. Anthony. Photo by Catherine Connors.
along the Hull section still intact, the Stern section is separated and lies at an angle to the main body of the wreck. Several of the anti-aircraft guns are still visible along the length of the wreck with plenty of 20 mm shells littering the seabed. Pat Normile shared his thoughts on the wreck “The Susan B Anthony was, for me, the most impressive dive of the week. We landed on the starboard bow section just forward of the deck gun. This area of the ship was very intact and recognisable, as were the twin antiaircraft guns on the port lower side. The visibility was enough to see the scale of the ship – awesome” Visibility can depend in this location, on a good day we can get up to 15 meters and a bad day it can resemble diving in soup. But as Irish divers we are no stranger of poor visibility. Peter Brady summed up his dive experience in Normandy by saying “I feel a circle has been closed, that circle created by the many books I’ve read on
the subject, the various wrecks I’ve dived elsewhere from that era, visiting the Normandy area in the past and
now seeing up close the hardware of the greatest –no, most infamous – conflict in our recent past.” ◼
The Four Irish divers en route to Susan B. Anthony. Catherine Connors with Kish SAC members, Peter Brady, Pat Normile and John Bolger. Photo by Peter Brady.
Catherine A Connors is a French Federation Wreck Diver, photographer and history nerd residing in Normandy, France, a long way from Tipperary, where she was born and raised. If you have ever thought about diving in Normandy and would like to learn more for you or your club don’t hesitate to contact her. www.bringhistoryhome.wordpress.com SubSea Autumn 2015 19
NEED A NEW FISH BOOK? By Tim Butter Guides to marine fishes are like buses – none for ages, then two come at once! However, although the subject matter is similar, these are two very different books (like a double decker bus and single deck coach maybe!). Released in January 2015, first out of the blocks was the Identification Guide to the Inshore Fishes of the British Isles by Peter Henderson. This book is described as a comprehensive photographic guide to the coastal fish of the British Isles. As such, it includes most of those species likely to be encountered whilst diving in Irish waters (although the red blenny is, surprisingly, not included). A total of 178 species are described in full with most getting a two page description which includes identification details, distribution maps, photos and line drawings, and details on habits and habitats. Information on seasonal occurrence is unusual but actually very helpful. A further 100 species are included in less detail. The real selling point for this book is that the identification information is definitive, but this may mean having a fish in the hand to count details such as the number of rays in a fin or number of scales along the side. This is essential information for fishery scientists and also useful for anglers, for example, but perhaps less useful for divers. Although many of the photos are of live animals underwater, quite a number are of fish out of water. It follows the usual format for fish books of grouping related species together. There are chapters on the cod
20 SubSea Autumn 2015
family, goby family, wrasse family, etc. This makes it easy to find information and to compare closely related species if trying to make an identification. This book can be purchased direct from the publisher at www.piscesconservation.com The Europe and Mediterranean Marine Fish Identification Guide by Patrick Louisy was released in June 2015. This guide has a more ambitious scope, aiming to include all marine fish that can be encountered in the coastal areas of Western Europe (from Norway to Gibraltar) and the Mediterranean basin to a depth of 50 metres. It also includes outlying species from the African Atlantic coast, the Canary, Azores and Madeira Islands, and arctic waters. In addition, oceanic and deep water species that may occasionally stray inshore are also considered. Freshwater species that sometimes occur in low salinity areas (especially the Baltic Sea) also appear, as do new species for the Eastern Mediterranean that have migrated from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. That adds up to a staggering 860 species! This book is definitely written with divers in mind. The identification tips are based, where possible, on easily visible details such as colouration and general shape where all you need is a good view underwater or a photo. Note, however, that this type of observation is not always reliable and may not be sufficient for some of the more difficult species. This guide helpfully includes tips on how divers should best approach each species. The best advice probably relates to the
(very rare) chance of a diver encountering a great white shark – “Keeping calm and respectful is a good rule to follow …”! The photos, which are excellent, are mostly of live animals in the wild. The down side to this guide is the sheer complexity of dealing with so many species. It doesn’t follow the usual scientific layout of families, instead grouping fish into open water swimmers, bottom swimmers, bottom dwellers, and sharks and rays. Whilst there is a certain logic to this, this layout means that it can actually be very difficult to locate an individual species amongst the 860 entries. This problem is compounded by the indexing for common names which is based on the full name of the fish – for example, there is no list of mackerel but rather Atlantic mackerel, Spanish mackerel, etc. are listed individually. And some species have different common names to the usual Irish/UK name. For example, the black-faced blenny in this guide is called the yellow black-faced triplefin – you have little chance of finding this fish in the book unless you know the scientific name! This is a great book if you plan to dive in the Mediterranean, which has a far higher diversity of marine fish than Ireland. But the real bonus with this book is that it pre-empts the possibility of southern species moving northward as sea temperatures rise. In recent years we have seen increased sightings of triggerfish, red blenny and Bailllon’s wrasse in Irish waters. Whatever species is next, it will be in this guide. ◼
Capturing the underworld Reverting to ‘Plan B’ for Daragh Muldowney opened up the unexpected delights of Ireland’s undersea world
‘North of Disko’ – Killary Flyer framed by a giant iceberg in 2013. Photo by Daragh Muldowney. SubSea Autumn 2015 21
The Underworld
The ‘Killary Flyer’ under sail in Greenland in 2013
‘So, are you up for it again?’ was the question put to me in October 2014 by Jamie Young, owner of the Killary Adventure Company. In June of 2013, I had sailed to Greenland aboard the
Killary Flyer as part of the North of Disko expedition to photograph the majestic and sublime beauty of ice. This was an above-water project that was eventually entitled ‘Out of Thin Air’.
Daragh with a ‘small' bit of sponsored Canon equipment in Greenland 2013
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I welcomed the invitation to return to Greenland but I also knew I had to approach the subject matter in a very different way. Without giving it much thought, I decided to photograph the ice from underwater … sure, how difficult could it be? This decision was made on a whim and without much consideration about what I was getting myself into. I had taken my PADI Advanced Open Water diver course in 1995, had a couple of dives in 1999 and that was the extent of my diving experience, effectively making me a novice diver with no cold water experience. I needed equipment, accelerated dive training and a rock-solid dive team to have any chance at all of making a success of the expedition. Ciarán Lennon, an experienced diving instructor working out of Scubadive West in Co Galway, was up for the experience and agreed to come along as my back-up diver. I had my first dry suit dive at Scubadive West in December with about six feet of viz. I was a bit like a yoyo and gulping down that precious air. The enormity of what I had taken on started to dawn on me.
The Underworld
Adam at the helm, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, 2015. Photo by Daragh Muldowney.
Breffni and Cillian Gray from Scubadive West could see the mountain I had to climb and offered me tuition and the loan of equipment, air refills and as many dives with them as I could manage. I completed my PADI Dry Suit Diver course under their careful tutelage from their stunningly located dive centre in Connemara. Canon Ireland had sponsored me in 2013 and agreed to supply me with a range of camera equipment again. This was not much good without the camera housing and lights, so I sent Jenny Rosenfeld from Cameras Underwater a copy of my book ‘Out of Thin Air’ explaining my intentions. She was excited about the project and agreed to supply me with an Aquatica Housing for the Canon 5D MKIII with a 9.25” Dome 3 port extensions, a macro port and two Ikelite DS160 strobe lights. I went to the wonderfully run Dive Ireland Show in February with Scubadive West. I attended some excellent talks about underwater photography and met Sean Webb from O’Three and Andy Shears from
Scubapro. Both were interested and O’Three supplied both Ciarán and I with their custom fit Ri 2-100 dry suits complete with P-valve (no more nappies), a Kubi dry glove system, heated under vests and an assortment of hoods, mitts and gloves. Scubapro supplied us with back plates, wing and harness with an integrated weight system along with their MK17 G260 regulators. All high-end equipment. I also met with Declan Burke from Anchor Dive Lights. I was looking to get an underwater tripod for some long exposures, so he supplied me with a quadpod, some carbon arms and two powerful dive lights. Sandisk, also sponsors of the last trip, were back on board with all our memory card requirements. It was really coming together. I just needed to get my diving up to a level that would allow me to take pictures. Underwater photography is a very different animal to topside photography, which became apparent once I went underwater. Once you are in the water, the clock starts ticking and you have a finite time to capture your images. There is no lens changing
under water so you are committed to a style of shot. Light travels differently underwater. White balance as you go deeper is a whole other world. Focusing reacts differently to above water as the 9.25” dome creates a ‘virtual’ image underwater. To shoot anything living, you need a deep understanding of the behaviour of their environment. Everything was new to me and I was very lucky to have some quality advice from expert divers and photographers Sarah Tallon, Nigel Motyer and Maja Stankovski. The support from everyone in the dive community has been wonderful. It’s all about dive time and using the equipment, so I dived my little head off making all kinds of mistakes. There were many other things to prepare before going, insurance, a Zodiac for boat dives, an air compressor, food sponsorship, dehydratedfruit, packing food into barrels, making and clearing many lists, not to mention everything that Jamie was doing getting the Killary Flyer ready for departure. By late April we had our crew: Jamie Young (skipper), Josie Gibbons SubSea Autumn 2015 23
The Underworld
Ciarán among those beautiful shafts of light at Carraig Coischeim, Inis Turk 2015. Photo by Daragh Muldowney.
(kayaker), Andy Stuart (underwater cameraman), Adam Pasik (power boat driver), Ciarán Lennon (support diver) and me. We would also meet Matthew Boyd (documentary maker) in Greenland. I could always have
done with more time but I was reasonably happy with my diving and underwater photography skills. We set sail on June 10th to fanfare and got a great send-off. A day later, we were back with a leaky gearbox! We got
The ‘Jordan’s Drogue’ in the middle of the storm 2015. Photo by Daragh Muldowney.
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that sorted, set sail quietly this time and then made pretty good progress for the first five days until we hit a hefty storm about 600 miles away. Here is a short passage I wrote during the storm: ‘50 mph winds direct from the west make it a very uncomfortable experience, so much so that our famous “Jordan’s Drogue” which was used on North of Disko part 1 was deployed last night at about 9pm. This is 100m of rope with about 150 little water parachutes attached. The whole thing is tied off the aft and hugely stabilises the boat. As the giant swell rolls through, all tension is taken up by the drogue lines. They creak and groan under the strain until the wave passes ... and then the next wave arrives and so on. Watch system has changed as we are going nowhere and it is now 1 hour on alone and 5 hours off. This is a watch to make sure nothing goes wrong with the Drogue. Now, although the Drogue steadies the boat a bit, we are still being tossed about the place and being smashed with waves over the deck.
The Underworld
'Gateway to the Underworld' at Carraig Coischeim, Inis Turk 2015. Photo by Daragh Muldowney.
These one-hour watches became known as “the Death Watch” by Claire on the last expedition. Basically all hatches are closed and you go out on deck on your own while everyone else sleeps. Appropriate name ... I was on my 2am one last night, winds howling and shrieking through the rigging. I was sitting on the deck of the cockpit when a giant wave smashed over the entire cockpit soaking me from head to toe. This has happened to all of us at this stage.’
This storm lasted 48 hours, after which we hauled in the ‘Drogue’ and tried to start the engine. A few turns of the engine and we had a small fire coming from the starter motor. Needless to say that a fire 600 miles from land was not welcome and we could not extinguish it quickly enough. A small amount of water had entered the engine during the storm through the ‘baffle’ and we now had no engine. This was not a dilemma as such, but we only had one option available to us. We could not continue to ice-laden waters with no engine. We had to turn around and sail back
to Ireland. We were all devastated. So much planning and effort by many people and it all came to an abrupt end. After a few days trying to come to terms with it all, the question was burning, ’What now?’ Many sponsors had given the team and I a huge amount of gear and I needed to do something this summer. Photographing ice I could get my head around, and as difficult as it might have been it would have suited my style of photography. We discussed many possibilities and I started to feel that there was something in photographing gullies, caves, interesting rock structures and pinnacles around the coast of Ireland, using the quadpod for long exposures and traveling to some epic locations around the country. The Skelligs to Rockall was the first plan. I posted on the CFT Photography Facebook page, asking divers for suggested locations and once again people were extremely helpful, giving me fascinating locations that got me watering at the mouth. Richard Thorn,
Martin Kiely, Nick Pfeiffer and Ciarán O Murchu, to name but a few. Des Moran, who sailed to Greenland with us in 2013, has a 30 foot boat called ‘Nanette’ and offered me the use of it for the summer. Ciarán was still on, Matt wanted to continue with the documentary, we had the air compressor courtesy of Scubadive West and we still had barrels of food that needed eating. I contacted all the sponsors and they were all open to this new Irish-based project. Before we took ‘Nanette’, Scubadive West had a dive safari weekend and Breffni invited me along to Inis Turk on the Saturday. He put me right on a spot at Carraig Coischeim, which was exactly what I was looking for, a cave that felt like a sacred chamber or a gateway to the underworld. I went in with my camera and quadpod and spent the entire dive soaking up this atmosphere and being emotionally charged by the sheer beauty of nature. This was the beginning of plan B. To see more of Daragh’s stunning photography, visit www.dulra.com ◼ SubSea Autumn 2015 25
La Juliana Fionnbarr Moore, Karl Brady & Connie Kelleher, Underwater Archaeology Unit, National Monuments Service & John Moody, Nora Haugh and members of Sligo Sub Aqua Club
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Recovery by UAU divers of the bronze gun that bears (Š National Monuments Service, Departm
Recovery of artefacts from the Spanish Armada shipwreck at Streedagh, County Sligo
a depiction of St. Matrona, patron saint of Barcelona ment of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht).
SubSea Autumn 2015 27
La Juliana
UAU diver recording carriage wheel in advance of its successful recovery for conservation (Š National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht).
Introduction The National Monuments Service’s Underwater Archaeology Unit (UAU) undertook a targeted programme of archaeological investigation and artefact recovery from one of the Spanish Armada wrecks in Streedagh, Co. Sligo this summer. The work was carried out in close collaboration with Sligo Sub Aqua Club. Since their initial discovery in 1985, the remains of one of the Spanish Armada warships, La Juliana, has lain largely undisturbed beneath the sands off Streedagh Strand, Co. Sligo. The UAU has been actively monitoring the three wreck sites at Streedagh since 1997 and commissioned a geophysical survey in 2013 to ascertain if any significant change had occurred in the general site conditions and surrounding seabed since 1985. In the meantime, however, it has become clear that a series of successive storms during the winter of 2014 and 2015 uncovered parts of La
28 SubSea Autumn 2015
Juliana wreck site, exposing it to the unrelenting forces of the Atlantic Ocean. More worryingly, stray elements of the wrecks off Streedagh were being dislodged and washed ashore. These were collected for safe keeping and reported to the National Museum of Ireland and to the UAU by members of the Grange Armada Development Association (GADA) who have been monitoring the beach area over the years. An initial dive inspection in April of two of the three wrecks, specifically Santa Maria de Vison and La Lavia, indicated that they are completely buried with no evidence for any exposed structural elements or artefactual material above the seabed. When assessing one of the recorded locations for the third wreck, La Juliana, the UAU encountered extensive remains including a number of bronze guns, structural sections of the wreck itself, two large anchors and several intact gun carriage wheels. It
was clear at that point that further work on the site was urgently required, including detailed survey, targeted excavation and recovery of the most vulnerable artefacts to protect and preserve material under immediate threat from storm damage and potential subsequent loss, or from illegal interference.
Monitoring the wreck sites As part of its work, the UAU, in collaboration with its colleagues in the National Museum of Ireland, has maintained a close monitoring brief on the wrecks at Streedagh since their initial discovery. This has involved visiting the site at regular intervals, either as a general assessment or after particularly notable weather events. The monitoring strategy involves both detailed walk-overs of Streedagh Strand and inspection dives in the general location of the wreck sites.
La Juliana
UAU diver recording the St Peter cannon prior to its recovery (Š National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht).
Over the years, a number of individual artefacts have been recovered from the beach area, including a steelyard for weighing commodities on board the ships, shards of pottery and miscellaneous concretions. It is only in the last few years, however, that structural elements like the rudder that washed up recently, have been identified and reported and it was because of the nature and extent of material being recovered on the Strand at Streedagh in 2014 and 2015, that the National Monuments Service mobilised the UAU to carry out the initial site assessment and follow up intensive investigation of the wreck sites this year. A key element of this work has been and continues to be, direct contact with the local interest groups and residents in Grange and Streedagh. Specifically, with the members of Sligo SAC and GADA. The dive club holds a licence to dive the wreck sites and is keeping a close watching brief on the wrecks while maintaining close communication
with the UAU, particularly on the condition of La Juliana since first revealed again in April. A licence is required from the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to dive any wreck over 100 years old.
Brief background to the Armada The story of the rivalry between Catholic Spain and Protestant England, culminating in the latter part of the 16th century with the unsuccessful attempt by the Spanish to conquer England, is historically well documented. An Armada of 130 ships left A CoruĂąa on July 21st on a mission to invade England, place Philip II on the throne and restore the Catholic religion. The Spanish land forces based in the Spanish Netherlands were to rendezvous with the Armada off the coast of France, but were held back behind a coastal barricade erected by
an alliance of English and Dutch. The Spanish fleet was spotted off the Scilly isles on July 29th and off Cornwall on the 30th. A series of engagements with the English fleet followed, culminating, on August 7th, in the scattering of the Armada off Calais when the English dispatched a number of fireships to create havoc in the Spanish fleet. Still under attack on August 8th and 9th the Spanish regrouped having been blown close to the Port of Gravelines but were eventually driven north by adverse winds and opted to keep going north, heading back home by the long route around the coast of Scotland and the west coast of Ireland. The English gave chase for a short while but seriously low in ammunition they returned to port and celebrated a great victory. Of the original fleet of 130, up to 26 ships may have being lost around the coast of Ireland and possibly as many as 40 in all were lost on the return journey to Spain. Only 6 have been SubSea Autumn 2015 29
La Juliana
Successful recovery of the St Peter cannon, secured to the stern of Dúlra na Mara in preparation for offloading it onshore and transporting it to the National Museum for conservation (© National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht).
A contemporary depiction of the Spanish Armada engaging with the English Fleet in the English Channel in August 1588 (© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich).
30 SubSea Autumn 2015
discovered and investigated around the Irish coast, including the remains of the three wrecks that lie in shallow waters off Streedagh Strand. La Juliana, a merchantman, built near Barcelona in 1570, was trading between Spain and Italy when Philip II commandeered it for his Armada. It was a large vessel, weighing 860 tons, carried 32 guns, 325 soldiers and had a crew of 70. Between it and the other two ships wrecked at Streedagh, La Lavia and Santa Maria de Vison, over 1,000 soldiers and mariners were lost. An eye-witness account by Francisco de Cuellar, one of the survivors of the wreckings, who was on board La Lavia provides a gripping though harrowing record of the loss of the three ships over the course of three stormy days from 21st – 23rd September 1588, whereupon they were ‘cast upon the shore’ at Streedagh.
La Juliana
UAU diver assessing the bronze cauldron, following its excavation on the seabed (© National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht).
UAU work on the wreck of La Juliana in 2015 In April, the UAU carried out a week’s diving on the wreck sites, accompanied by Sligo SAC, and relocated the remains of La Juliana. At that time, 4 bronze guns and 1 iron gun were identified on the seabed, along with a number of carriage wheels and two large anchors overlying the partly exposed structural remains of the ship itself. This area of the wreck was previously visible when the wreck was originally discovered by the Streedagh Armada Group in 1985. In April following a rapid assessment and recording of the exposed elements of the site, with photographic and video survey, it became clear that a much larger project was needed. On being informed of developments Minister for Arts, Heritage and the
Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, had resources put in place for a more sustained programme of work aimed at gaining a better understanding of the wreck site and recovering the more vulnerable artefacts. In June the Minister visited the site during the second phase of work. The UAU dive team, augmented by a number of experienced professional archaeological divers, also engaged Anthony Irwin’s vessel Dúlra na Mara as a safe dive platform with suitable lifting apparatus for the recovery of material from the wreck site. Two bronze guns were recovered in June, being particularly vulnerable due to their exposed nature. One has a figure with the name ‘S Iovane’ (short for San Giovanni) inscribed below it and the date 1570 while the second gun has the same date and a depiction of ‘St Matrona’. The latter gun is particularly significant, as
‘St Matrona’ was the patron saint of Barcelona, the place where La Juliana was constructed in 1570, and therefore these may be two of her original guns. In July the UAU spent 3 weeks on the site, with Dr Karena Morton, National Museum Conservation officer, also present to assist and advise. 7 more bronze guns, a large carriage wheel and a bronze cauldron were recovered. All material has been transported to the National Museum of Ireland where it is undergoing conservation.
Sligo Sub-Aqua Club’s contribution Sligo SAC was established in 1972 by a small group of diving enthusiasts. Founding members of the club, Noel and Francis Sexton have a long history with the Streedagh wreck sites, SubSea Autumn 2015 31
La Juliana
Members of Sligo SAC with one of the recovered guns on board DĂşlra na Mara.
recollecting well, the time when they were first discovered in the 1980s, and have maintained a keen interest in them ever since. Over the last 3 years the UAU and Sligo SAC have been cooperating on detailed snorkel and dive surveys of the bay, which the Club carried out in 2013 and 2014 and they have linked in with the UAU’s work throughout. Members of the Club, led by John Moody, Noel Moran and Owen Feeney, provided assistance by surveying the wider bay while the UAU concentrated on the detailed recording of the wreck site of La Juliana. While the club members dived independently as sports divers, their keen interest ensured that a much broader area of the three wreck sites could be assessed allowing the UAU to concentrate on its particular brief. Since concluding its current project in July, the UAU has received regular reports from the Club on dives undertaken, ensuring a constant watching brief is being maintained on the site.at local level.
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Discussion The variety of guns recovered from La Juliana graphically illustrates the history of the ship itself from its origins as a merchant ship to its demise as a warship in 1588. Requisitioned four times throughout her 18-year lifespan, the ship took part in several significant campaigns. In 1571 she was strategic as a transport vessel at the Battle of Lepanto and one of the guns recovered may be linked to this event. In 1583 she was again involved in the Battle of Terceira when Spain finally annexed the last Portuguese territory in the Azores. Its use as a warship during the ill-fated Spanish Armada campaign of 1588 resulted in its final destruction off the lonely strand of Streedagh. While the archaeology is amazing and of international significance, the loss of life that is also part of the story of the loss of these ships, cannot be forgotten. Sligo SAC was involved in a historic wreath laying ceremony on the
site in 2010 and this was a timely reminder of this huge loss of life and that the site is in fact a historic war grave. As part of the Grange Fringe Festival held on the 19th September 2015, organised by GADA, the Club once again took part in a wreath laying ceremony on the site. Sligo SAC members were both proud and delighted to be involved in the project and as long-term members, never thought that they would see history in the making in their diving lifetime. The morning of July 20th at 7am in Mullaghmore saw members of Sligo SAC and friends, GADA, local residents and hundreds of excited members of the public gathered to welcome ashore the Spanish cannons after 427 years. It was an emotional and proud moment for everyone involved. The historical finds have sparked an upsurge of interest in scuba diving in the area and the club is currently involved in introducing new members and trainees to the wonderful underwater coastal terrain off Co. Sligo.
La Juliana Future work on the wreck sites Following the completion of the current phase of investigation at Streedagh the UAU is compiling a detailed report on the findings with observations on the nature of the site dynamics as witnessed over recent months, and taking into account the implications arising from other discoveries of recent years. The report will contain recommendations for ongoing monitoring and management of the wreck sites. Resources permitting, the UAU will return to Streedagh to carry out follow up assessments. Targeted investigations aimed at assessing the structural integrity of the wreck itself may also be undertaken, with artefacts deemed to be vulnerable again recovered for safe keeping. As well as keeping a close eye on the wreck sites, the local communities in Streedagh and Grange are extremely active in promoting the story and the need for the preservation of the three Armada wreck sites there. GADA is also actively developing plans for an Armada Centre in Grange in which the story of the Armada and the wrecks at Streedagh can be highlighted and some of the artefacts recovered over the years put on display locally. Sligo SAC will carry on diving on the sites at Streedagh and maintain its link with the UAU. The work at Streedagh will continue into the future, but it will be the collaboration of all involved that will ensure continued success at these internationally important wreck sites. ◼
A personal comment by Sligo SAC
Sligo SAC: L-R front Eddie Moran, Nora Haugh, Michel Czubula (Offshore Watersports), Damian Horan, Paul Carr, Francis Sexton, Danny McCarthy, Geraldine Gallagher, L-R back row- John Moody, Mark O'Hara, Noel Sexton, & Noel Moran. Missing from Picture: Seamie McDaniel Andy Millar & Owen Feeney (Image courtesy of Donal Hackett photographer, Sligo Champion)
Sligo SAC would like to extend our thanks to Fionnbarr Moore, Connie Kelleher, Karl Brady and the rest of the UAU team - a very hard working bunch of people, who were at the harbour in Mullaghmore at 6am every morning (in rain for most of the time). They then spent hours in the water, not getting back to the harbour until 8.30pm most evenings. They were still smiling but banjaxed and willing to meet with Club members later on in the evenings and answer questions and discuss what we could do to help. This is where the line can be drawn between work and a passion and these guys have a passion for their work. I am confident that this is only the start of many years work to
come and with the dedication of Club members like Noel Sexton, Noel Moran, Nora Haugh, Francie Sexton, Danny McCarthy, Owen Feeney and other members, it will make this task easier and much more interesting. Sligo SAC are looking forward to working with the UAU over the coming years and will keep monitoring the sites for any changes. We hope that more funding is provided in the near future to continue this important work. Final mention must go to my wife Auriel, who has been a dive widow but steadfast supporter since the wreck was relocated again this year. John Moody, Club Member, Sligo SAC.
Acknowledgements The UAU would like to thank the following for their hard work, advice and support:
Transport of Cannon to Dublin: Gearóid Forde: Sonny Forde and Company, Galway.
Dive team: Rob Marson (dive supervisor), Jimmy Lenehan, Julianna O’Donoghue, Rex Bangerter, Rory McNeary, Sandra Henry, Nigel Kelleher, MacDara Lynch, Cathal Twomey & Eoghan Kieran.
3D imaging: Brian Shanahan
Dúlra Na Mara: Anthony Irwin and Michael Cawley
NMI: Raghnall O’Floinn, Karena Morton, Rolly Read and Nessa O’Connor NMS: Ann Lynch, Paul Walsh, Terry Allen, Paul Connolly
Links: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1024755860876121&id=563478597003852 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sligo-Sub-Aqua-Club/186100302647 http://grangeandarmada.com/ http://celticfringefest.com/ SubSea Autumn 2015 33
CFT Nautical Archaeology Society Course
By Claire Kavanagh Bairbre Mullee giving the lecture on 3D surveying. Photo by Claire Kavanagh.
CFT ran a pilot Nautical Archaeology Society Intro and Part I course over two days, the 15th and 16th of August 2015. The classroom work was based in the CFT offices in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, with nearby Sandycove beach providing a perfect location for in water practice of the classroom survey skills covered. Participants, who learnt the many challenges of transferring on land based survey skills to water, included members of the Kish, Hook, Cork and University College Dublin (UCD) Sub Aqua
Discussing the logistics of underwater archaeological illustration. Photo by Declan Curtin.
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Clubs. Much appreciation to the Irish tutors Bairbre Mullee of UCDSAC, Sandra Henry of University of Ulster and Claire Kavanagh of Atlantis SAC for presentation of the course which received extremely positive feedback. Big thanks are also due to Catherine Connors who travelled all the way from Normandy to take part both as a student and tutor on the course. A delegation from Kish SAC are putting their new skills into use during archaeological work carried out with Catherine from the 18th of
September 2015 and it is planned that similar opportunities will be available to NAS course participants into the future. CFT members have been involved with NAS activities as far back as the 1980’s and a licence has recently been taken on by the Council to run courses nationwide in Ireland. NAS certification runs from Intro to Part I, Part II, Part II and up to Part IV. The NAS regularly run specialist seminars to tie in with the Part III course but these are also open to anyone interested in underwater archaeological activities. The NAS have a successful adopt a wreck scheme which encourages participants to actively record sites visited and submit these for the annual Adopt a Wreck Award. There is scope to extend many of these NAS activities to Ireland. CFT archaeological courses will be open to all, both members and non-members of the Council and also to any interested non-divers. It is hoped this will be the first of many successful courses and initiatives run by CFT in association with the NAS. For those interested in future courses please keep an eye on the Council’s website http://diving.ie or contact louis e@diving.ie. Further information on international NAS activities can also be found at http://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org ◼
Some of the course participants and tutors. Photo by Declan Curtin.
Turtles and mermaid. Photos by and © Paul Colley.
Winning images with any underwater camera: composition is the key! Text and photos by Paul Colley It’s not just cameras, lenses and housings that make better pictures. Technology has its place in the photography armoury. But most of us can make better pictures with what we already own. And I mean much better. This article will explain how, developing some recognised ideas about basic composition into more advanced thinking. Just a little more thought about this might just make you a better photographer.
What makes a winning image? When I talk about winning images, it’s about winning the hearts of people you wish to engage. It could be friends, family, peer photographers and for sure – if you aspire to it – magazine editors and competition judges. You’ll be listening for that response we all love to hear: “wow!” This is what I think makes a winning image: A winning image captures many things. It can be a new viewpoint of a common subject, or a fleeting moment in time, or the perfect rendering of exquisite underwater geometry, shapes & symmetry. Most winners have high contrast in light or colour, a clear subject and careful balance between the different visual weights in the frame. All have one thing in common: the wow
factor, an ability to strike at the viewer’s heart and to engage them emotionally.
First step - master your camera Unless you know how your camera and lighting system work, you cannot progress easily into advanced composition. Develop the mental and muscle memory that allows you to work your camera underwater without over-thinking it. I practise all the time top side photographing my pets and wild birds. It puts you in the right mind set for interacting with sometimes fast moving and unpredictable animals. Read books, go on courses, practise with your gear – do whatever it takes. But when you are proficient at taking a picture,take heed of Ansell Adams’wise words: “You
don’t take a photograph, you make it”. Composition is the art of making an image; putting all the elements within it together and not just accepting the view in front of you. By moving up, down, left, right, closer or further away and by adjusting your camera angle or viewpoint, you can make elements in the scene move relative to each other. I use the model shown overleaf. The book “Winning Images” unpacks these ideas with in-depth chapters, but I’ll highlight three crucial elements in this article: light; contrast; and balance.
Light Understanding and capturing light is something that all good photographers master. You must control the relative direction, intensity and quality of light. It controls shapes colour and contrast. These are your SubSea Autumn 2015 35
Winning Images basic compositional tools. Light can be natural or artificial, hard or directional and soft or diffuse. Diffusers on your strobes create softer light; good for bringing out large patches of vibrant colour. Take the diffusers off and use only one strobe (or differential power with two strobes) for stronger directional light to generate shadow and details. Above all, always note the direction of natural light: put the sun behind you if you want colour in a big scene; or from the side if you want to emphasise shadows, shapes and texture. Light is the photographer’s master tool with which, using lenses, apertures and shutter speeds, we paint colour,shapes and detail into our images. Shark. Photo by and © Paul Colley.
Advanced composition: the big two There are few if any images that work well without photographers having first achieved contrast and balance. Learn what these concepts mean and bring both into your images. “Winning Images” explores each in considerable depth, but here’s the nub of it.
Contrast “Nothing exists without its opposite” At its most obvious, contrast it is the difference in brightness or colour that makes an object distinguishable to the eye. But viewers of your images need to work out what they are looking at quickly, or they will disengage. Contrast in light and dark makes it easier for them. Colour contrasts are similar. But we need high contrast (in light, colour or both) set against lower contrast in the rest of the image. Otherwise we generate a level of overall detail that begins to clutter the principal subjects. Try looking at small thumbnails of your images. If the main subjects are not obvious, they may lack sufficient contrast. Silhouettes and monochrome images are often the best ways to see high contrast in light. Consider the two images below of a free diver and a ship wreck. Both were deliberately shot into or across the light for high contrast and note how well the shapes stand out, even
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Winning Images
Images shot with the light behind or across the subject provide high contrast. Photos by and © Paul Colley.
in the image with no colour. You can also use a wide aperture to blur background detail. Or use a small aperture to get a dark background and let flash light pick out the foreground subject colour. Most people understand light and colour, and “Winning Images” has much to say about both. However, there are other subtle contrasts that you can bring to your images. People appreciate these sometimesunderstated and even subliminal contrasts, for example of texture and density, or of size and position. Photographing a smooth subject on a textured sponge background, as in the eggshell cowrie image, is one example. Or capturing a decisive moment like that in the barracuda image, which contrasts one barracuda set against
many and heading in opposite directions. It grabs attention and achieving this particular contrast was a function of timing; nailing the peak of the action defined the contrasts of direction and scale in this image.
Balance My other master organising principle for composition is balance. Different elements of an image have different visual weights, which depends on size, colour, and position of objects within the frame, their implied vectors, sharpness (focus) and strength of content. Look at the image of the coral-encrusted motorbike in the hold of a ship. It has three strong weights distributed along a dominant diagonal
line: the front wheel of the bike (large size, sharp focus and high detail); the yellow fish (strong colour and a clear implied vector); and the blue water (a moderate size bright colour patch). The water colour and fish colours contrast well, so between them they have visual weight that naturally balances the dominant bike and its big front wheel. Even in the monochrome image of a snapper school and diver there is a sense of balance. You might think that the fish school has too much weight compared with the diver, but note that all of the fish right of centre are pointing back into the frame. This vector has a high weight and it allows the image to feel balanced against even a small diver. Note also the contrast of one against many.
The smooth cowrie contrasts nicely with the textured sponge, and the barracuda image has contrasts of scale and direction. Photos by and © Paul Colley.
SubSea Autumn 2015 37
Winning Images
Balance: The highest visual weights in the left hand image are the motorbike front wheel, the fish and the patch of blue water. In the right hand image, implied vectors and positions in the frame allow the diver and fish school to balance each other. Photos by and © Paul Colley.
Novelty and viewpoint can have high value in composition, but even a very common subject at high magnification can create viewer interest. The common shrimp works well at super macro using high key techniques and natural light for an uncluttered canvas – most people tend to use flash and dark backgrounds. Saltwater crocodiles are difficult to photograph and so novel. But how many people have used this particular viewpoint? Photos by and © Paul Colley.
The wow factor Good contrast and balance give a better chance of achieving that sought after wow factor. But this also has a lot to do with subject selection. We get bored looking at the same type of underwater pictures; there are millions out there. So novelty is a great commodity. It could be a rarely-photographed subject, but if we depended on rarity alone to make images work, we might struggle. You can also photograph common subjects in new ways. So experiment with different lenses, lighting and
viewpoints, and try to be different. Macro and super macro is one way, because the possibilities are endless. But you will still need vibrant colours and interesting shapes to grab attention: contrast and balance will still apply.
Conclusion We rarely get something for nothing, but I’m always looking for what some call higher gearing in my photography choices and investments. It means paying what I can afford, but expecting
a high return. By investing modest sums to access the literature that counts, and above all by spending time in studying photography, I tend to get high returns compared with the money sunk into lenses, cameras, strobes and housings. Knowledge of composition is the highest gearing that I’ve ever found in my photography career. If this short exposure to it interests you, consider investing a modest sum in the book “Winning Images”, where I’ve captured all of my thinking about advanced composition. Happy shooting! ◼
Paul Colley is an award winning underwater photographer and instructor. His book Winning Images with Any Underwater Camera is critically acclaimed by the Royal Photographic Society, which awarded Paul a distinction for the contribution that the book made to the research, education and application of underwater photography. You can buy a signed copy of Paul’s book through his web site www.mpcolley.com or Amazon.
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So, anyone interested in going on a Nudibranch Workshop?
By Tony O’Callaghan (Seasearch Ireland Coordinator) Cadlina Laevis. Photo by Tony O’Callaghan.
It’s a simple enough question and one that some/most divers would at least understand! Unfortunately when you start talking to your non diving friends, there tends to be a lot of what the ..... are nudibranchs? So to quote from the “book” itself (Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. 1994, A Field Guide to the Nudibranchs of the British Isles. Immel Publishing Ltd) “The name nudibranch means ‘naked gill’, the name refers to the external respiratory organs, such as the branchial plume of dorid nudibranchs. Nudibranchs belong to a class of molluscs called the gastropods, this class is divided into three subclasses; the prosobranchs (e.g. the common whelk, the periwinkle and the limpet); the pulmonates (air breathing snails and slugs, e.g. garden and pond snails and slugs) and the opisthobranchs (commonly known as sea-slugs). Nudibranchs are opisthobranch molluscs in which the adult stage has completely lost both the shell and operculum. The Nudibranchia is divided into the following four suborders; the Dendronotacea, Doridacea, Arminacea and
Aeolidacea. Approximately 108 described species occur around the British Isles.”
So anyway, now having agreed that we at least know what they are – are you interested in knowing more about them in the company of the expert(s) Bernard Picton , Christine Morrow & Jim Anderson? Well unfortunately it’s too late for 2015 as the workshop has been and gone since July 18th & 19th 2015 in Carna. Those lucky enough to attend had a fascinating insight into Nudi’s, with some lectures given by Bernard on the Saturday and Sunday interspersed with a shore walk in interesting conditions on the shores of Carna, some dives on Saturday evening in the Salt Lake and Ail Bhui collecting specimens for examination under the microscope on the Sunday. Following on from more dives on Sunday morning, we had another couple of presentations with many more specimens collected for viewing under the microscopes. As Bernard pointed out, most species of nudibranch specialise in predating on a specific food. So for example Cadlina laevis feeds on sponges such as Halisarca dujardini and perhaps Dysidea fragilis.
Another example would be the Janolus cristaus, pictured below, which feeds on erect Bryozoans, especially Bugula species. The spawn consists of a white or pale pink string wound in a wavy circle pattern, usually on the food. The eggs are in packets with clear patches between them, giving a beaded appearance to the spawn. So if you want to find a particular species look for its food and then look for spawn and you should find the species. We had a very interesting group on the course from pure nudinerds like Frank and Benny from Galway, underwater photography expert Martin Kiely, underwater wildlife enthusiasts John Breen, Agnes Walsh, Paul Roland and Mary Hunter, some folks from NUIG post grads and some post docs.
Janolus Crisatus. Photo by Tony O’Callaghan.
SubSea Autumn 2015 39
Nudibranchs
Doris ocelligera. Photo by Paul Kay.
By Monday, most of the weekenders had left whilst a few die-hards remained for a week’s foraging for more. With strong SW winds forecast, and in need of some sheltered diving, we hit for Ross Roe Pier in Killary and were rewarded in that we had two nice dives there and found 9 different species, one of which was quite a surprise to our two beaming “nudinerds” We found 2 specimens which Bernard identified as Doris ocelligera. This rarely reported species, usually found in slightly warmer Atlantic waters has seemingly pushed its northern limit to the north by about 350 miles. As an interesting subnote, we went across to Scubadive West for some air fills and browsed Paul Kay’s stunning book “Ireland’s Hidden depths” and started looking at the nudibranch page. To our surprise we found a photograph of a Doris ocelligera that had been misidentified. This was very understandable as it was not known to be present in the British or Irish waters. There is also an old recording which
Tritonia Lineata. Photo by Tony O’Callaghan.
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Archidoris pseudoargus. Photo by Tony O’Callaghan.
Bernard is sure is the same species (identified as Staurodoris verrucosa) in Farran’s 1905 account of the nudibranchs of Ballynakill Harbour. It was spotted in April 1903. So instead of it being here because of global warming, it has been here all the time. After roughing it on Monday we managed to launch the boat that Bernard had borrowed for the week and we started to explore the waters of Kill Kieran with some interesting dives on spots fondly remembered by Bernard from prior surveys. Overall we come across 35 species of mollusc on the dives with 32 nudibranchs found across nine dives sites. One of the problems with organising things around the west coast of Ireland tends to be logistics. Plans needed tweaking when for example; the compressor at the Carna center needed rewiring and after being moved did not work as planned. We ended up using Scubadive West and a small personal compressor to provide air fills (thanks to Mary & Liam Hunter for supplying
power from their rented cottage). Bernard and Queens SAC kindly provided the use of their boat for the week as a dead battery on our boat curtailed its use. We would like to thank Bernard Picton, Christine Morrow and Jim Andersen for sharing their love and knowledge of Nudi’s and Maeve Edwards of the Martin Ryan Institute, Carna (NUIG), for arranging access to their Laboratories and the use of their facilities for the week. This workshop was organised by Seasearch Ireland, who run a series of courses and workshops to educate divers on the variety of sea life they see on their dives. We have hosted three Observer courses this year in Cork, Dublin & Galway and will have a Sea squirts workshop at the end of August in Waterford. If you are interested in learning more about Seasearch please contact us by email at seasearchireland@gmail.com or via our Facebook Page “Seasearch Ireland” ◼
Bernard Picton & Jim Andersen. Photo by Tony O’Callaghan.
Deep into the Cave of Skulls Andy Torbet tried to go where no diver had gone before when exploring Scotland’s deepest cave Striking a pose. Photo by Stu Keasley.
The depth of a Highland winter may seem an ill-advised time to embark on exploring the submerged passages of Uamh nan-Claigg ionn, the Cave of Skulls, Scotland’s deepest cave. But I had a lull in my diary and besides, after dragging my kit down five vertical drops and numerous constricted crawls, I’d be convincingly ‘out of the wind’. Cave diving in Scotland is like most of the UK, specialising in tight, serpentine crawls, long abseils and muddy water (or watery mud), and the sites are normally a bloody long way from the car. There aren’t many fat UK cave divers. We were filming this little jaunt for the BBC’s Adventure Show. The plan was for Stu Keasley to film me up top in the initial section and I’d self shoot on a small hand-held inside the rest of the system. I had to carry one of the heaviest rucksacks of my life – twin seven-litre cylinders, a side-mount harness, a climbing harness, 105 metres of rope, torches, reels, abseiling, ascending and anchoring kit and my camera – about 60kg in all. Fortunately it was only about a mile-and-a-half from the end of the nearest road; unfortunately it was winter, the road was blocked, so it was two-and-half miles…uphill.
The start of the uphill. Photo by Stu Keasley.
SubSea Autumn 2015 41
Cave of Skulls
I carried all this kit, except the camera! Photo by Stu Keasley.
Into the breach. Photo by Sarah Connor.
I’d investigated a few other sites the day before so, after Sherpa-ing my load up through the snow, I was gifted the opportunity to pull on a partially frozen wetsuit whilst simultaneously blaspheming enough to offend most major religions. Finally kitted up, it was time to descend into the underworld. The entrance is a large cavity in the ground, overarched by an eldritch, a gnarled tree with beards and bunting of moss and lichen hanging into the icicleencrusted darkness. Once I abseiled down and entered the system, I could feel the rise in temperature as the warm earth enveloped me. The first awkward bend and low crawl brought the reality of my predicament. It was impossible to
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drag or push all my equipment in one go so I’d have to shuttle, re-doing each section four or five times. The first crawl is followed by two abseils, with one of the most awkward take-offs I’ve ever encountered. Up to this point it had been narrow rifts, low crawls and small spaces. That all changed after the second abseil. I sidled through a narrow crack and stepped out into an immense cavern; standing on a boulder-strewn ledge half way up its walls. The roof soared above me, tapering to a point, as the ground fell away into a shallow plunge pool. Anchoring the rope and strapping all my kit on, I swung out into the abyss. I find myself abseiling
on a near-weekly basis but never with this much weight on. I treble-checked the anchor points before I took a deep breath and that first small step. This vertical descent was followed by the House of Cards, so called because slabs of rock, shaped like giant playing cards, have fallen from above and become precariously wedged against one and other at convoluted angles leaving only a low, narrow space beneath. As I heaved and slithered through the gravel and water I kept reminding myself that the chaotic structure above me had probably stood for centuries and wasn’t likely to move anytime soon…(”are you sure?” said the voice in my head “besides, Torbet,” he went on, “I’m no expert in geology, so neither are you”). Safely through, and having shuttled all the kit, I came to the last two abseils. Not the longest, but the most fun. The first was down a short waterfall into a thigh-deep plunge pool and the second has you lowering yourself down through an hourglass effect. It starts spacious enough before narrowing to a point where you’re forced to turn your head to the side and bounce to get your chest and backside through before flaring out wide again. Finally you reach the bottom of the cave, but, if you’re a diver, not the end. Reaching the first sump required me to slide through an extremely low crawl. Unfortunately this had been made considerably tighter by the gravel, silt and debris washed in over the winter. The height was less than 25cm and water covered the lower 15cm, and I am not built to cave. Too many years rockclimbing and carrying large rucksacks up large hills means I don’t possess the wiry, whippet, racing snake physique of
Screenshot from pool and waterfall. Photo by Andy Torbet.
Cave of Skulls the hardened caver, so I got stuck. Wriggling my way backwards I began excavating some of the larger rocks and gravel, trying to plough a furrow deep enough for me to squeeze myself through. With people waiting for me at the surface and overdue on my return time, I had to leave, having failed to even reach the dive site. Morale was low. It was not aided by the thought of having to haul myself and all that kit, back out of this hole. On reaching the surface, I was exhausted and the effort of bringing up all the equipment on my own had done little to improve my mood. I had said I would dive the limits of the deepest cave in Scotland. Failure. Fast forward to June: Having driven through the night, I find myself kitted up at the entrance once again. Alone this time, with no cameras or filming to slow me down, I’ve exchanged my twin sevens for twin threes. I have one day. This will be like an alpinist ascent, fast and light. Knowing the layout and with only myself to worry about I fly through the cave and find myself at the passage that stopped me last time. I dig and try to push through but keep getting stuck. I have to back out, dig more and try again. Each time the cold water burns my ears as I twist my head from side to side trying to breathe. Finally I can see the end; I’m sure I’ve done enough and force my way on. Inches from where the crawl opens out I stop. One push, a hard push, should see me clear. I take a deep breath, plunge my face into the icy water and push with my legs, pulling with my arms… I’m stuck. I push harder – nothing. The voice was back, “what are you going to do now, Torbet?” Then I had an epiphany, the kind that has you slapping yourself on the back for your intellect in solving your current dilemma only to realise a slap
It’s cold out! Photo by Stu Keasley.
Dive done! Photo by Stu Keasley.
Almost out! Photo by Andy Torbet.
in the face would be more appropriate as the solution is so blindingly obvious the problem should never have occurred in the first place: I breathe out, forcing the last of my air away, feeling my chest contract…and slip through. After lugging the last of my gear, bent over double, along a low tunnel I reach the first sump. It’s a short, shallow U-bend and the silt washed in left me with only enough clearance to slip though on my belly. The final stretch is a smooth, wet, low passage that opens into a larger rift just before the terminal sump. I should have felt
enthusiastic and excited at this point but to be honest I was just tired. I wanted to get in, see how far I could get and start the long haul back to daylight. I forced myself to focus, slipped into the dark waters and immediately felt the space around me constricting. I pushed less than a few metres in before the passageway narrowed and became impassable, forcing me to do a feet-first withdrawal. I had been the first person to pass sump 1 since Alan Jeffrey’s first attempt in 1976 and the first to ever dive sump 2. At last, success. ◼ SubSea Autumn 2015 43
Diving into your holiday read
When packing for a dive trip, one of the most important things to consider is what book you are going to bring? There are so many things to consider, such as book weight, thickness and whether it’s worth bringing if you won’t have much time for reading. Get it wrong and you end up kicking yourself. One option is to look at e-books, where your book is downloaded to your Kindle, tablet and phone, and synced across all three. When I was last in Sharm El Sheikh, I dived with John Kean, a professional diver and author who has several books available on Kindle. The first one I chose to read was the intriguingly titled Lost Wife, Saw Barracuda, a story of John’s transformation from a city slicker IT professional to a dive instructor in Sharm. The first thing to note is that at £4 from Amazon, the book is excellent value for money. It’s a great little read and guaranteed that, from every parent’s horror of the book’s opening sequence (with a happy end) to the “explosive” final chapter, it will keep you occupied through the airport, the plane and a bit beyond. John brings us on his journey of giving up a well paid job in England and moving to Sharm, where he got used to the Egyptian way of life. In Egypt, the emphasis is on “look where you’re going, rather than sue the nearest entity for your failure to look where you’re going”. Any of you who have holidayed there will understand his light-hearted look at all things Egyptian. Everything is covered from the infamous taxis, showering with petrol, to how, when detained by the police, he was allowed to walk to the shop to get water and cigarettes for them. John then tells us the things most of us imagine that a dive instructor will come across … dead cows underwater, dive boat anchors dragging through the ammunition hold of the SS Thistlegorm and the wonderful
Review of John Kean’s e-book, Lost Wife, Saw Barracuda
44 SubSea Autumn 2015
kaleidoscope of divers, good bad and indifferent he has had the pleasure to teach. See if you can find yourself among John’s list of dive characters that include “gadget man”, “dive bore man” and “diving couple”. I won’t mention what he says about “camera man”. My only regret is that I hadn’t read John’s book before I met him. If I had, I would have bought him a drink for the courageous work he did on the night of July 22nd 2005. Read the book to find out more about this and where the book title came from. You won’t be disappointed. John has another three books available in e-book form, and at such good value, they will be on my Kindle app the next time I’m travelling. ◼
“Lost Wife, Saw Barracuda” author, John Kean
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Under the Sea By Val Robus
Bubble ring. Photo by Mark O’Connor.
Two weeks ago I was scared of the sea (and heights) – until I went out coasteering with Wave Sweeper in Belmullet, Co. Mayo. How things have changed. I now love swimming in the sea so much that I want my own wetsuit. To my delight Mark O’ Connor from Wavesweeper Sea Adventures has some water activities taking place in Sligo and he invited me to go snorkelling in Mullaghmore. The worst part for me is trying to struggle into the wetsuit, this time I didn’t thump myself in the face! When I was all kitted up we walked down to the water’s edge and Mark explained all about what we were going to do and how to stay safe. As it was my first time snorkelling, I didn’t know how I would get on. As I’m getting older I find I’m slightly claustrophobic so the mask was a bit of a challenge, plus learning to breathe through a snorkel. I don’t know about you but I find the minute I think about breathing I forget how to breathe!! Anyway after a few times of just putting my head in the water to get used to it, off we went. It was so
amazing! The water was so clear and the amount of things we saw was fantastic. It’s like a whole other world! I loved swimming in the sea. I felt like Ariel (the little mermaid) not the
washing powder :) I felt very graceful, until I tried to get up on a rock and was like a beached whale, so I just sort of lounged there and checked out the sea urchin (who we put straight
Val Robus taking a breather with a sea urchin . Photo by Mark O’Connor.
SubSea Autumn 2015 45
Under the Sea
Starfish in Kelp. Photo by Mark O’Connor.
back in the sea after we’d had a look at it). The highlight for me was swimming with the fish. It was just so different to
46 SubSea Autumn 2015
anything I’ve ever done before and just so fantastic. It’s so relaxing, all you can hear is yourself breathing and after a very
hectic week it was the perfect way to unwind. I’d never have thought there was so much to see just under the surface of the sea. You’d never think you were in Ireland! We really do have the best of everything along the Wild Atlantic Way. There is so much to explore and such great activities and adventures to take part in. I can’t wait to go back snorkelling again! Sadly I can’t claim any of these photos as my camera decided to die. So a huge thanks to Mark, for letting me use his amazing images and for looking after me so well, as always. So why not try this for yourself! Anyone over the age of 8 can take part in this brilliant experience. You can contact Wave Sweeper at www.wavesweeperseaadventures.com and check out my blog on www.magnumlady.com This adventure is part of my Wild Atlantic Wayfarer project, in conjunction with the Hawk’s Well Theatre and LookWest. ◼
Club Spotlight
Ennis Sub Aqua Club – 35 Years exploring the Wild Atlantic Way
by Tom Fitzpatrick Situated in the very heart of County Clare, Ennis Sub Aqua Club is ideally located within short driving of a wonderful selection of dive sites across the county’s coastline. Combining the majesty of the onshore scenery of the Wild Atlantic Way with the unique underwater delights derived from being on the edge of The Burren, divers from Ennis are spoiled for choices in diving locally. From the wonders of Kilkee, right up along the coast to the rushing drift dives on the outgoing tides in New Quay, the variety of dives, scenery and underwater life make the Clare coastline a delight for all types of divers. Ennis Sub Aqua Club was founded back in 1980, when local divers, who up to then had been diving with Limerick SAC, braved the challenges to set up the club. During its first year, the club had a membership of 10 hardy divers, with the only qualifications at the time being two Club Divers. In those early days diving was done from the shore while the club fundraised firstly for a compressor, and then later in the year for the club’s very first boat, all with the help of a sympathetic bank manager. Over the club’s 35 year history we have had a strong, ongoing involvement in the wider, non-diving community in and around Ennis. Volunteers from the club have very frequently undertaken the compassionate task of searching our
local water ways for missing people. Our SAR divers have also travelled far and wide outside of our own community to assist folks up and down the country. Each Christmas, divers from the club take to the cold, dark (and sometimes frozen) waters of the River Fergus in our annual Fin Swim event. Aside from the help it provides to the club finances, the swim also show cases the club to the town of Ennis, many of whom line the bridges of the town to cheer us along as we swim through the centre of the town. More than one person found their way to the club as a result of our annual swim. On and off over the 35 year history, we have also hosted a raft race down the River Fergus, and on Ballyalla lake.
As a club, the emphasis is very much on creating a safe, enjoyable environment. Over the winter months we meet and train on Saturday evenings in the local pool, where we have a strong, junior snorkeler programme before the senior members arrive in. The club makes it easier for families to come in and take part in activities together, which creates a readymade pool of new trainee divers when the snorkelers are old enough to train in scuba. Our juniors get some fun activities out over the summer months, letting them use their pool acquired skills and giving them a taste of Irish waters. Our trainees also benefit from dedicated Scuba gear that the club provides for use, making it easy for people to get started. SubSea Autumn 2015 47
Club Spotlight
Picture from an Ennis SAC Raft Race. Photo by Audrey Woods.
Today, the club enjoys a broad membership, all with a common love of the sea and of diving. With many of our membership having progressed through to M* or M**, we also enjoy passing on our skills and knowledge to new trainees, and are always ready to help and welcome new members to the club. Outside of the diving season, the club also has a number of enthusiastic hillwalkers, 5K, 10K and Marathon runners, keeping a lively, healthy social aspect going all year round.
Our favourite places to dive from We certainly enjoy getting out to the regional dive weekends when we can and seeing the dive sites in other regions, along with exchange visits with other clubs. These are great ways of getting to experience new dive sites with local knowledge. But of course, with the whole of the Clare coastline within easy reach, we do have some local favourites… Kilkee is within easy reach and offers a wide range of dive sites. Kilkee
The Hole in the Wall – the Wild Atlantic Way creates some interesting getaways where it meets the Burren. Photo by Tony Meehan.
48 SubSea Autumn 2015
has been extensively written about in this magazine before, so I’ll just briefly mention some of our favourites without going into detail again. Middle Rock, offering variety as you follow it all the way around has something for everyone with depths from 40m up to a relaxing 6m surface stop on top of the rock. Beraghty Mór, offering great, sheltered wall diving, another location where you can start deep and work your way up the wall as you go. Nearby, Ilaunabaha offers you a great reef dive with overhangs and crevices to explore. Miles Creek and New Fee offer good beginner dives and are great warm up locations at the start of the season. Doolin, weather permitting, offers a wide range of diving sites within easy reach. With the recent completion of the new pier making it easier to launch and recover boats at low tides, the diving community can access some superb diving from this base, while Dusty the Dolphin is often a regular dive buddy. Here’s a small flavour… Bones’ Bay is a reef system to the north, close up to the cliff face. With depths from 16m to 23m depending on tide, the reef shelters a large variety of sea life. Overhangs, trenches and rocky
Club Spotlight outcroppings along the length add loads of variety, and attract in a colourful variety of fish life. It can be dived northerly with a filling tide or southerly on a falling one, and is a regular staple of the club. For the more adventurous, it also makes for a great night dive. On the edge of Doolin Bay itself, Crab Island stands as a watchful sentinel, watching all the comings and goings. A little west/north west of this island is a wonderful maze of submerged boulders. Again, depending on the tides, this can be between 18m to 25m. Swim-throughs, overhangs, and abundant sea life are the staple ingredients of a dive here. The watchful cox ’n will witness the depth rapidly jump up and down as they pass over the large boulders beneath. It’s best to drop in the middle and amble around. Sally’s Alley is a deep reef at 25m – 30m. Its location leaves it exposed to the flow of the tides, so it’s best dived during slack water. The reef contains a number of small caves, large enough to enter comfortably, and deep enough to get 30m into. At the insides, small cracks allow in the light, and it’s worth turning off the torch for a few moments to experience the effect on a bright day. Midway along the reef is a large chimney, and if you’re reaching the end of your dive, this is a great place to finish it. The Eye of the Needle is a bit of a spin, down past the Cliffs of Moher to Hags Head. Fairly shallow at 10m – 12m, this is a good early season & trainee dive. Again, there are lots of swim-throughs, in places you can swim through the cliffs to the other side, and then come back around. The Puffins on the cliffs dive in around you on your safety stop as they look for fish, and there’s a lot of entertainment to be had out of a bird flying under water… China’s Hole, to the south west of the pier, is a large roughly horse shoe shaped wall dive, with lots to see at varying depths. Starting at the floor at about 22m, keep an eye out for our lobster and large spider crabs under the rocks. It takes about 15 minutes to go around the wall from end to end, so it’s worth partially ascending along the wall and then circumnavigating the
Nature’s Wall Art. Photo by Mary Cahir.
wall again at your new depth to see what else is hiding in the cracks. Macro photographers will enjoy the variety of colours to fill their screens as they follow the wall around. Moving south along the coast, we base ourselves in a sheltered bay called the White Strand (about half way between Lahinch and Quilty) where we keep the boat on a mooring for a few weeks of the year. As you look out to sea, Mutton Island draws the eye, and in close proximity, Lime Rock and Seal Rock provide excellent wall diving. As
the name implies, you might have a little friendly curious company here and there on the dive. Seemingly in the middle of the ocean, Kilsteffan rocks (completely submerged) descend to the depths, but provide submerged archways, while the passing tides bring in a wide variety of fish life. Our friend Dusty sometimes makes an appearance this far south too. Taking a bit of a trip around the northerly corner, you’ll find the Green Island. Of course, as its underwater at most times in the tidal cycle, you’ll
Dusty the Dive Buddy. Photo by Brid Deely.
SubSea Autumn 2015 49
Club Spotlight
Happy Boat. Photo by Tom Micks.
want to find it carefully! Again, this is a spectacular wall dive, with submerged arches, full of fish life. Depending on how far along it you go, about midway along on the northerly side, there appears to be a slope
comprised of rock far. Follow this up on the left hand wall, and hiding behind a large rock and a sharp bend is a wonderful crack in the island itself. It quickly opens out into a wide, deep canyon, completely sheltered in the
middle. Swaying kelp on the top edges allows in the light but keeps it mostly hidden from sight unless you happen along the entrance, so it’s truly a hidden delight. In the summer months, this crevice is teaming with life and colour, and you could spend an entire dive happily inside here exploring. Freagh Point is a very easily accessible shore dive in the same area. The filling sea brings in a variety of life, and the dive itself follows a shelf out into about 15m of water. You can easily spend 45 to 60 minutes here relaxing and watching the fish life pass you by. Whatever your taste in diving, you’ll find something to your tastes along the Clare coastline. If you’re coming to the South West for some diving and want some local advice, we love to help out. We enjoy hearing from other clubs, so why not drop around our Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ennissubaqua check out some of our videos and say hello. ◼
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