22nd July 2012
After lots of emails to and from Chris, the TO at Wight dolphins SAC trying to find a suitable snorkelling site in an area we had never been to before, we settled on the beach at Shanklin.
Memories from the week-long expedition’s Thursday diving:
Anjali (aka Jelly) and I paired up for another glorious day of diving in the Isle of Wight in tropical temperatures. We started in mid afternoon on the Sandown Bay drifting at about 8 metres over sand with rocks covered in fine fronds of seaweed and snakelock anenomes, like miniature gardens, populated by small fish. We drifted over a couple of velvet swimming crabs spoiling for a fight and uncovered a nursery of cuttlefish eggs clinging to a rock.
Our second dive in the early evening opposite the life boat station was a faster drift around 8 metres with a glimpse of a big ballan wrasse checking us out as the rocky scenery floated by and tiny gobies stood guard by their burrows in the sand and rock crevices. We came up to white topped waves-thank goodness for the easy access on our new boat!
This is a family friendly week-long branch expedition (holiday) to the Isle of Wight.
We have in the past run a number of these weeks, based in Weymouth and Lyme Regis. This year I am planning to organise the week based in and around Shanklin IOW.