Fruits of the Sea - July 06
It would seem that a requirement of a divers bar b que in Cornwall is scallops. Having been invited to one and as the host had a rib off we went in search………certainly beats getting them from Sainsbury’s!
The weather had been very poor for diving on the south coast but all seemed fairly calm in Falmouth Estuary so it was to be here that we were to search for our contribution to the evening’s food. I had intended to take a camera knowing that the estuary is wonderful and is fast becoming one of my favourite dives with its diverse and varied marine life. However at the last moment I forgot and it wasn’t until the boat was well away from the slip that I remembered it was still in the car. Very unlike me to forget it……. probably just too excited! Anyway I resigned myself to a dive with no camera and decided to concentrate on collecting scallops like the others and maybe finding myself one or two of the bottles that had been discarded on the seabed, some of which can be quite old.
Dropping in at around 11m we worked our way down to 30m at which point we split up as I was on 36 nitrox and didnt want to go any deeper. I then let the current take me in what was a nice gentle drift. As before the seabed was alive with fish and little harbour and velvet crabs scuttling around. I also spotted three beautiful dogfish with lovely markings. I had been a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to collect any scallops as my sight underwater is pretty awful but it wasn’t long before I started spotting one or two.
I also stowed away a couple of bottles in my goody bag. On examination later neither one is old, in fact I think one is just a beer bottle, but they still have their own charm covered as they are with little barnacles and worms. They certainly make a different memento of the dive to the photos I normally come back with.
pics and report from previous dive here
