Basking Sharks Are Back

Basking sharks are back in British waters.

In the last week the first basking sharks of the summer have been spotted off the Cornish coast as their annual migration brings them to Britain in their hundreds.

The Cornwall Wildlife Trust has again launched its Seaquest Basking Shark Project and is looking for volunteers to help provide a deeper understanding of basking shark distribution and behaviour from Gwennap Head.

Last year 86 volunteers were involved in 71 days of surveys, and during that time basking sharks, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, harbour porpoises and seals were seen, with the highlight being the sighting of a fin whale!

The surveys began on June 1 running from dawn until dusk.

BBC reporter Alex Bushill has filed an interesting piece on the BBC after joining volunteers going in search of a site of the mysterious creature.

He wrote: "On the afternoon I caught up with them at Sennen Cove, nearLand's End, I was blessed with not one but two sightings - their distinctive dorsal fin clear to see."

He added for a fish's eye view of this magnificent creatures you really need to be underwater which is exactly where Dan Burton was on Wednesday of last week.

The unrivalled footage of basking sharks arriving here to feed on clouds of plankton was posted on the BBC website and is featured below.

Advanced Open Water

Thanks to Neil and Adam for making a wet weekend so enjoyable.
The rain torrential at times, soaking us through to the skin, (and that was before we got into the water) it could have been a bleak two days.
But we had a blast and they both successfully completed their PADI advanced course and Peak Performance Buoyancy.
The viz on the deep dive was pretty decent because the bottom draggers (who needs fins when you can trample over the silty bottom) stayed at home because of the weather.
They should take a few lessons from our students - I even got to see parts of Dosthill I'd not seen before.
Bosses have launched a new website with a good map and some pics that are worth a look for those new to diving or the wonders of Dosthill

Should scuba divers eat fish?

Over-fishing is as big a problem to humanity this century as global warming, according to the man behind documentary, the End of the Line.
Yet research shows most of us don't realise that our seas are under such a pressing threat.
Journalist Charles Clover's film exposes the impacts of fishing on marine life, the plight of species such as bluefin tuna, and the profound implications of a future world with no fish.
But a key message from the film is that actions individuals can take will help bring change.

Which raises the question, should scuba divers eat fish?

For us the underwater world is our playground. Healthy reefs are what draw us to far-flung locations around the world. I'm sure we've all had a moan when dive sites haven't lived up to expectations and been shorn of life.
Yet I'm sure we've all enjoyed a sneaky piece of local fish afterwards.

It's diffiuclt for us Brits, we have been brought up on a diet of fish and chips. Sea bass cooked simply with a twist of lemon and some black pepper over sweet potato mash and some veg has to be one of my favourite tuck-ins.

But seabass are also among the Marine Conservation Society's list of 69, yes 69, fish to avoid. While it states some seabass fisheries are okay, how can I be certain whether the fillet on the plate has come from a sustainable source or not? Is it best to just so no full-stop.

Some scientists have warned the oceans are in so much peril world's fisheries could face collapse by 2048. This will have a devastating impact on our environment.

As previous blogs have touched on, we need a healthy marine ecosystem to absorb carbon dioxide from the air but, such is the damage to the underwater world, ocean acidity is increasing and threatening the very ecosystems and coral reefs that we enjoy.
According to the latest research, fish play their part in regulating acidity, secreting a compound called calcium carbonate, which if it dissolves in the upper levels of the oceans could help replenish the alkalinity of the seas.
Therefore fewer fish contributes to greater ocean acidity = destroyed coral reefs.
If that happens every dive, no matter where in the world, will be like a desert.

Quoting a friend: "For centuries we have taken our marine riches for granted. But in recent decades we have taken too much, with too little care. Fragile habitats have been destroyed, fish stocks have collapsed and valuable resources have become dangerously depleted. The marine environment is on its knees. Now it is time to give something back."

Charles Clover called on consumers to demand sustainably-caught fish from retailers and restaurants. Which is a start. It's taken almost 20 years for politicians (short-termists by nature) to understand the impact of global warming but the oceans can't afford for them to catch up here.

The EU has proposed some new measures of shark finning in European waters. If they can drop national interest and have a look at the ridiculous rules around fishing we might have something to go on.

We can also support the development of Marine Conservation Zones, contained in a bill working its way slowly through Parliament.

But back to my earlier question. Should we divers lead by example and so no to the fish on the menu to do our little bit to reduce demand? Just as it is in the long term interests of fishermen not to empty the oceans, it is also in ours. Travelling half way around the world for a dive site that resembles a lifeless quarry doesn't hold much appeal

After all, Mother Nature has a way of bouncing back if we relieve the pressure and give her time.

Dolphins in British waters

We normally travel halfway around the world to catch glimpses of the amazing sealife that holds us in rapture. But how many would be surprised to learn that dolphins are resident in the UK as well.

Cardigan Bay in Wales is one of two spots that is is home to a population of about 200 bottlenose dolphins. While enjoying a short break to the area around New Quay we were treated to a awe-inspiring surprise show at the sunset as they played in the water in front of us.

The pics don't do it justice (zoom lens not as powerful as binoculars) but I thought I'd share them with you.

We had gone down to enjoy a romantic sunset on the headland above the beach at Mwnt when they made an appearance and we sat enthralled for the next 45 minutes taking in the free show.

According to experts at Ceredigion County Council, the inshore coastal waters around Mwnt are ideal for seeing dolphins, porpoises and seals. Nearby New Quay sees them approach the harbour walls.

The Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, established in 1996, is now carrying out research on the pod, primarily through photo ID. The Centre works in collaboration with Dolphin Survey Boat Trips to collect vital research data and information on the marine mammal populations found in Cardigan Bay.

Every year they also run 'Dolphin Watch' and researchers believe sites like Mwnt are important for foraging as well as centres for social interaction and transit routes and sightings here have increased between 1995 and 2007.

While sightings can never be guaranteed, as long as you are patient the chances are high. A calm sea with the sun behind you makes it easier and sea birds such as gannets circling above can help pinpoint areas of interest. With the naked eye, scan for dark blips of dorsal fins, the splash of white water or sun glinting off their wet bodies. Then train your binoculars in that area for when they next pop up for air.

Scuba diving Stoney Cove

The weekend was blisteringly hot so what better time to dress up in a thick undersuit, drysuit, hood and gloves and go scuba diving.

Alison wasn't enamoured with the thought of two temperature extremes - baking it's bits off on the surface and freezing the cobblers off beneath - but I convinced her Stoney Cove, in Leicestershire, was a wonderful place to spend a warm weekend and she finally relented.

Thankfully she had a great time.


Nautilus

Stoney is perhaps the most popular of inland dive sites in the UK. There's plenty to see, you can get a bit of depth and the above water facilities are pretty good.

We arrived later than planned which meant all the car parks were full. Not such a bad thing as we could park much closer on the site road.

The walk may have been a bit much in the hot temperatures but once in the water (a less than respectable 11C) we were glad of the thermal protection.

As it was Alison's first trip to Stoney we kept it simple with a tour of the popular sunken sites; the Stanegarth wreck, Wessex helicopter, Viscount fuselage, bus and Nautilus sub.


Alison on the Stanegarth


Alison on the Stanegarth

The reason for writing though was I finally managed to get her to understand the benefits of a wide-angle lens for my U/W camera.

My Canon G9 in its Canon housing takes fantastic images but has no option to add a wide-angle lens (thanks Canon). if I wanted one I'd have to go for the big and bulky Ikelite housing.

But with prices staying high because of the exchange rate that's not a possibility.

Having spoken with Adam at Cameras Underwater in London, he suggested the next option was to keep the G9 for close-up work and go for something like the new IXUS 980 with a wide angle conversion as my next set up.

The G9 gives some manual options missing from other compacts allowing me greater control and is my next step up before going full digital SLR, hence why I'm thinking of the IXUS 980. A full set up with strobes will cost around £1,100.

"Not another camera!" was the stock answer from Alison. But having dived Stoney and looked at the images on their website compared to mine, she can now understand what I've been talking about all this time.

Take my shot of the Viscount (a quick snap for memory rather than anything set up) and the professional's shot on the Stoney website.
The wide-angle will allow me to get closer without losing the whole subject either through cropping or because of the gloom. After a few years of point-and-shoot snap-happyness, I want to do something more creative with my U/W photography.


mine


professional

Then there is the pic above of Alison taken from the wheelhouse of the Stanegarth. I had another image in my head but my current set up wouldn't do it.

What the trip did do was also give me some other photo ideas for Stoney. So I'm going to have to pick a quiet weekday when the viz is no so churned up and go and have a play. If I can get anything like the professional's image below of the bus then I'll be happy.


Bus