Wave Shape
Wave Shape

Trip Report: Farne Islands, 20-23 June 2022

Waves Shape
Trip organiser Graham Higgins reports

Dives
Monday Little Harcar and Gun Rocks

Tuesday The Pinnacles and Northern Hares
Wednesday The Hopper and The Knivestone
Thursday Blue Caps and Whirl Rocks including the wreck of the Jan Van Ryswyck

Ten DSAC members and a partner joined this four-day club trip to the Farne Islands in Northumberland. The diving and accommodation were booked through Farne Diving Services in Beadnell, a handy five-minute drive to Seahouses, where the boat Farne Diver II was moored. The group met up in the evenings at various pubs and restaurants in Seahouses and Beadnell, making the most of the occasion.

The Farne Islands are steeped in history, from the residence of St Cuthbert in the 7th century to the exploits of Grace Darling and her father William rescuing sailors from the Forfarshire in 1838. The area is home to a wealth of marine life both above and in the water. The timing of the trip was ideal for witnessing the vibrant seabird spectacle with various auks including puffins and guillemots, and arctic terns constantly on move out at sea. One memorable encounter during the 6m safety stop on the Staple Island Pinnacles was being buzzed by guillemots, seeing what the divers were up to. Sadly though, avian flu was already taking its toll on the island’s birds and shortly after our trip the islands were closed to visitors on land.

The weather conditions at sea were perfect, enabling a combination of two scenic or wreck dives each day. We were the only group of divers out on the Farnes all week and had the pleasure of having the underwater environment all to ourselves. Right from day one, we had various interactions with the grey seals, including some fin-nibbling action during the reef dive around the Hopper rock.

Marine life seen during the week included octopus, a variety of nudibranchs, common and squat lobsters, velvet swimming crabs and plenty more. The walls of reefs and gullies were typically festooned with corals including white and orange dead mens fingers, along with grazing common sea urchins, brightly coloured common sunstars, starfish and some truly enormous plumose anemones. Fish seen included the colourful ballan wrasse, the largest of the wrasse found in UK waters, as well as leopard-spotted gobies, cod family and butterfish. A pod of about 10 dolphins was also seen from Seahouses harbour.

Wrecks were explored during the dive around the Knivestone and Whirl Rocks, the outermost part of the archipelago. Diving on Whirl Rocks is only usually possible on four or five days of the year owing to tidal and weather conditions, so the group really was very fortunate to be able to dive this site, and it was rated as the best dive of the trip. The wreck of the Jan Van Ryswyck steam cargo ship at Whirl Rocks was comparatively well preserved, considering that its final voyage was in May 1924. The group was able to explore the stern half of the wreck, including the boilers, and noted some intact brass fittings.

The group worked together as a team during the trip, One example of this was during a surface interval when one diver was found to have a split in his dry suit neck seal. Making the most of the sunny conditions, a quick repair was fashioned while on the boat, using one of the member’s supply of repair materials. Loading and unloading the boat was also done through teamwork, and the more experienced divers were on hand to offer advice on kit configuration. The Dive Manager role was shared during the week, and two Sport Divers were able to complete their Dive Management Practical modules as part of their Dive Leader training.

A massive thank you is due to skipper Lee Hall of Farne Diving Services who made everything possible. Lee is planning to retire at the end of the 2022 diving season. He will be missed.

Check out the full gallery of photos for this trip

 

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