Kinlochleven Dive/Camp 2011

ROYAL WEDDING DIVE WEEKEND KINLOCHLEVEN 28 APRIL TO 1 MAY 2011

(3 DAYS – 4 SEA LOCHS – 8 DIVE SITES)

10 Club Members headed north to escape the wall to wall coverage of the Royal Wedding to dive some of the Sea Lochs in the Ballachulish area. Caolasnacon camping and caravan site in the shadow of the mighty Aonach Eagach was the base for the 3 nights. Tom and Hilary arrived first and pitched their tent in the sunny calm weather. The rest of the party arrived from the east later, and brought an easterly wind with them which stayed with us for the rest of the trip.

Friday 29 April
Friday morning was bright and sunny and after some breakfast we headed off for our first dive of the day.

Dive Site 1 The Slates Loch Leven

The Slates. Debbie MacGregor

This dive site is a small peninsula with a boulder wall dropping down to a flat sandy bottom at around 25m. Following an excellent briefing from Nathan (one of many) we set off in buddy pairs on the east side, swimming round the peninsula and exited on the west side. There is plenty of life on the walls including Sea loch anemones, many species of sea squirts, Long clawed squat lobsters, Peacock worms and Dead Mens fingers.

Sea loch anemones. Tom Kerr

There were plenty of Pollack around and the occasional Dogfish. There were also many King and Queen scallops on the sandy sea bed. Visibility was excellent. Everybody had a great dive.

Dive Site 2 Carnoch Bay Loch Leven

Carnoch Bay. Debbie MacGregor

This site is close to the water sports centre and has ample parking and easy access to the water’s edge. The dive plan was to surface swim out for a short distance and then follow the right hand wall, turn and follow the wall back. The wall on the right hand site often stops and then re-starts so is quite difficult to follow, use of a compass is the better option. The sea bed is quite silty here so careful finning was required. We were surprised to find Phosphorescent and Slender sea pens in such shallow water. The silty sea bed is also home to Hermit and Edible crabs, burrowing anemones and Eyelash worms and Football jersey worms. Some of the large boulders were home to some huge Plumose anemones. There was even a Lumpsucker hiding in the weed in the shallows along with a few lightbulb sea squirts. A terrific second dive.

Phosphorescent sea pen. Tom Kerr

Following this dive, Ally and Ross made the first of 3 round trips to Puffin for cylinder fills. The rest of us returned to the camp site to find that the wind had got to work on the tents, flattening one and starting to demolish another two. After some re-pitching, food was prepared and some of the party got ready for the third dive of the day.

Dive 3 Night Dive, Caolasnacon camping and caravan site Loch Leven

 
Caolasnacon camping and caravan site. Tom Kerr

6 of the party entered the rough dark water of Loch Leven at just after 10 pm on a clear but windy night. However once below the water all was calm and peaceful. The dive was conducted on the eastern side of the camp site away from the narrow channel which runs past the camp site. The steep loch walls, which drop to around 22 -25m are covered in Sea Loch anemones, Peacock worms and sea squirts and looked spectacular when lit up by our dive torches. There were lots of Pollack around as we swam by. It was good to settle on the sea bed towards the end of the dive and watch the photoluminescence in the water. The display could be made more spectacular by moving your hands around and disturbing the animals giving off the light.

Dive 4 Kentallen Wall Loch Linnhe

Kentallen Pier. Debbie MacGregor

After a very windy night, Saturday morning was bright and sunny, so we headed off to the Holly Tree Hotel, Kentallen to park up for our next dive. Gowyn decided not to dive with us today and have a leisurely day instead, running up 6 Munro’s in the Mamores.

Following another excellent briefing from Nathan, we entered the water at the slip next to the pier, took a compass bearing on the distant green channel marker buoy, just visable in the photo, and headed for the wall. Depending on how far you were prepared to surface swim the swimming distance over the flattish sandy bottom varied from about 4 to 11 minutes swim time. This was not an ordeal as there was lots to see on the sea bed including, sea cucumbers, Long legged spider crabs Edible and Hermit crabs, Sea mouse, Scallops, Starfish and Purple sunstars.
Accurate compass use brings you to a v shaped sandy cleft in the wall watched over by a large orange Plumose anemone. Once you swim down the cleft you have the choice of swimming right or left along the wall. We chose left and swam along a wall covered in Peacock worms, anemones, sponges and Sea squirts. Returning to the cleft and swimming back on a reciprocal bearing brings you back to the slip, the journey seems longer this time, perhaps the level sea bed makes you question the compass, or your use of it.

Purple sunstar. Tom Kerr

Unfortunately, Gavin and Lorna had to leave us after this dive. Ross and Nathan headed off to Puffin for cylinder fills, leaving everyone else to enjoy the sun on the grass at the Holly Tree Hotel which serves excellent coffee.

Dive 5 Picnic site North East of Corran Ferry Loch Linnhe

Picnic site, Loch Linnhe. Debbie MacGregor

This site has plenty of parking and looks out over the loch to Ardgour. We entered the water from a stony beach. A stone covered sea bed soon gives way to a silty one covered in a bed of Brittlstars. There is a small wall which can be found by swimming back into the shallows in a south westerly direction. The wall is actually part of a reef running from the shore out into the loch. Swimming round this brings you into a small bay with a forest of Bladder wrack where we exited. The visibility in the shallows around the seaweed was excellent.
Readers who dive the west coast regularly will be familiar with the Green sea urchin which often wears a ‘hat’ of seaweed on its spines. If it can’t find a suitable piece of weed, an old beech tree leaf will do. I was amused to find a Common sea urchin at this site displaying a fine seaweed ‘hat’.

Common sea urchin sporting an impressive hat. Tom Kerr

Dive 6 Cemetery 1 site Loch Leven

Cemetry 1. Debbie Macgregor

It was back to Loch Leven, on the opposite site of the loch from the camp site for an early evening dive. We surface swam out to the edge of a drop off and descended to a silty bottom. There is plenty of wreckage at this site which is fully exploited by sessile marine life. There is a boat trailer, other metal work and a large rowing boat. The boat is home to many Queen scallops that have swam in and obviously can’t get back out again. There are Phosphorescent and Slender sea pens at this site as well. This is a nice sheltered site for a dive.

Yellow ringed sea squirts. Tom Kerr

Moon jellyfish (check out the vis!). Tom Kerr

Returning to the camp site there was time for a quick shower before heading to the Tail Race in Kinlochleven for an evening meal.

Dive 7 Drift dive Loch Creran Bridge, Loch Creran

Loch Creran Bridge. Debbie MacGregor

Following an early morning cylinder run to Puffin, we all met up at the Creagan Inn on Loch Creran. The plan was to do the drift dive on a flood tide, so we entered the water from a small stony beach at around 1 pm. As you swim towards the centre of the loch the sea bed is pebbly with sand. There is maerl here too which is nice to see and is home to a lot of marine life. This habitat gives way a little deeper to an extensive Brittle star bed.
Gowyn and I seemed to be swimming forever and still not feeling the pull of the incoming tide. We ascended for a look and found we were on the far bank just a few metres from the flow under the bridge. It was amusing to see Ally pop up to have a look as well. Descending again, we travelled a little further over the Brittle stars and Pink spotted sea cucumbers. The sea bed suddenly rises to around 3m and you’re off into the flow past tall fronds of kelp, bent double and large orange Plumose anemones and Dead mens fingers and we were accompanied by shoals of Moon jellyfish. Ally, Debbie, Goywn and myself travelled under the bridge together. Nathan, Ross and Al must have been close behind.
After a few minutes the current eases and heading right takes you to the south bank of the loch where exiting the water is quite easy. A terrific dive.

Dive 8 Bonawe Quarry Loch Etive

Bonawe. Debbie Macgregor

The final dive of the trip was at Bonawe iron works. The site faces east and looks out onto the hills below the impressive Ben Cruachan. The water is entered via a broken glass strewn beach. We surface swam to the first orange buoy and then followed what looks like an electricity cable across a very silty sea bed to a small fishing boat wreck standing upright in about 15m of water. The wreck has plenty of life on it unlike the rest of the bay. There are stalked sponges and Oaten pipe hydroids. Many of the clumps of hydroids were being preyed on by the nudibranch Coryphella lineate.
Visibility was poor, as the photo shows, but Nathan and I headed over to the south wall for a look before ascending.

Oaten pipe hydroids being predated on by 3 Coryphella lineata nudibranch’s. Tom Kerr

A special mention must go to Nathan for organising and running this excellent trip, everyone had a great time. Nathan’s briefs before each dive were interesting and informative. During the trip Nathan also helped pitch, strike, re-pitch tents, load and charge cylinders and many other useful tasks.

Nathan at Carnoch Bay. Debbie MacGregor