Standing at the end of the pier waiting for the dive boat to arrive we were less than optimistic. Funny thing is, if it wasn't for the planned boat dive being cancelled, we would never even have considered looking for an alternative. We were standing on it.
I had anticipated a scrappy little shore dive; a poor alternative to the originally planned boat dive to the nearby wreck of the Chadwick. Descending the rocks to the wall I soon changed my mind.
Jagged outcrops of rock plucked by an ancient glacier lead down to a silty sand seabed. Now submerged and sheltered from the open sea, the rocks are un-weathered and have not been rubbed smooth by wave action. It is almost like diving a quarry rock face.
The most obvious marine life is long and delicate plumose anemones. Sheltered from heavy seas they have not had to grow the heavy stems I would expect to see were they living on a more exposed site. Sporadic brown sea cucumbers stand on the rocks, waving their arms in the barely noticeable current and licking their fingers to consume the trapped plankton.
The usual dahlia anemones are also spotted about the rock face. I am always amazed by the variety of colours they display. Everything from red and orange through to blue and violet. A complete spectrum of base colours with an infinite variety of specks and stripes.
A puff of fine silt draws my attention to a squat lobster darting back into a crack in the rocks. Now switched on to squat lobsters, I sneak up slowly while holding my breath to catch them in the open. Once used to me they hold a wary vigilance, only to be spooked later by a movement of my camera or a puff of exhaust bubbles.
I can tell we are getting close to the pier by the usual trail of junk. Old lobster pots, a boot, bits of wood and steel. Even the rotting remains of a small fridge. Then we are beneath the pier.
Thick rotting timbers are host to more anemones and dead men's fingers. Kelp adheres to the outer legs, but once in the shade of the pier there is not enough light for kelp to survive and the shade allows deeper water life to survive close to the surface.
With excellent visibility shafts of sunlight punctuate the scene. It is the overall impression that is so memorable, just incredibly pretty. So nice that as soon as our bottles are pumped we are itching for a second dive.