It was a lovely day for a plunge into the calm waters of Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, and especially so for the clubs handful of newly qualified Ocean Divers experiencing their first open water dive. With water temperatures around 18 degrees C and visibility at 4-5m, conditions were perfect.
After kitting up, we entered the water from the east slipway armed with deployed SMB’s to notify the throng of kayakers, paddle boarders and swimmers of our presence.
Kimmeridge Bay is in a Marine Protection Zone and home to the Sealife Centre, so we expected to see a pristine sea bed. Because of its shallow waters (we attained a max depth of 4.7m at high tide) it is a perfect nursery for many jeuvenile fish, including wrasse, bream and tompot blennies. The topography varied quite a bit, with large boulders, rocky ledges and gravel beds, all containing a variety of seaweeds and hydroids.
Large boulders
Shoal of small fish
Anemones
Bootlace Weed
Juvenile Corkwing Wrasse with Sea Louse attached
All in all, it was a great day’s diving
