Cornwall - August 2005

After a number of foiled attempts, due to poor weather, the guardians of the Longships were able to get out to the world’s best dive site on the August Bank Holiday and inspect it, to make sure it has not been damaged, moved away or melted.

There was a shifting crew of 13, coming and going, doing the honours as a dozen of the regulars were diving in the Isles of Scilly. We were to experience a long weekend which highlights just why this site is so special.

The weather was wall-to-wall sunshine, a tremendous ground swell washing up to the base of the lighthouse – ask Krisztina - and disappointingly poor viz.

But that poor viz brought with it some unexpected highlights - more basking sharks than we have seen in years: from babies of three metres to giants longer than our 5.5m RIB. We saw them almost every wave of diving we did. Unfortunately the viz which brought them in hampered any chances of good underwater shots, and all we could see was a gigantic tail sweeping past your mask at speed to vanish in the green gloom.

However Mike B became almost enthusiastic about seeing them………

The viz also brought in shoals of mackerel and sprats which were feeding at the surface, and one pair of divers were engulfed by a shoal while doing their stops. There was also a small sunfish to entertain one group.

The viz was better the deeper we went, and despite tides which allowed almost non-stop diving, we were not able to make a full inspection as we would have wished to do in our self-appointed role of guardians of the rocks. So we are just going to have to go back again – hoping for better viz, even if that means no sharks.

As a non diving bonus we were also able to see the Sennen lifeboat launch - not for real - just for the exercise.

Thanks to Simon L for organising and the rest of the crew for making the weekend so enjoyable.

Crew: Simon L, Dangerous D, Mike B, Paul N, Malcolm N, Krisztina L, John D, Simon T, Andy S, Stuart S, John Panton, on perhaps his final club dives before immigrating to Canada, and yours truly Guardians: Allan T and Richard K

All pictures and video clips were taken by Alex Coxall - daughter of Carole & Allan Tudor.