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It was with mounting
excitement and some degree of anxiety that I took the turn
off for Mullaghmore on an overcast Friday morning last Easter
weekend. A picturesque fishing town and seaside resort, Mullaghmore
was the location of my first diving trip with the club and
also of my first dive.
This is the weekend that the trainees make their ‘debut’
into the world of diving and I had been looking forward to
it for some time.
There are a number of excellent dive sites in the area
including Thumb Rock, St Johns Point and The Gullies.
Thumb Rock is undoubtedly the most popular of the Mullaghmore
dive sites and the reef boasts a wide variety of flora and
fauna. However, an ungraceful descent (similar to an anchor,
according to Peader) and being attacked by fin eating kelp
cut short this particular dive for me. A word of thanks
to the kind people on the Kencraft who gave me a lift back
to shore and also thanks for not laughing at me too much.
A small reward is also offered to whoever locates a black
fin in this immediate area.
Another shore dive, a little further along the coast leads
into an amazing reef. At the point where we entered the
sea we could see Slieve League across the bay, the highest
sea cliffs in Europe. The reef itself is sheltered from
currents and swells, hence it boasts a vast array of beautiful
multi-coloured sea grasses and is crammed with starfish,
crabs, lobster, not to mention sea anemone, sea urchins,
cucumbers, and very active sea slugs. A word from the wise
– never laugh underwater as so doing floods the mask
and results in having to complete the mask-clearing exercise
taught so rigorously in the pool training sessions by Shane
and Niall.
St. Johns Point is a short 20 minute boat ride across the
bay. The day was balmy, the sea flat calm, and heading across
the bay toward the picture perfect lighthouse on the horizon
with the sun on my face was absolute bliss. We dived down
by the infamous wall, the face of which is covered with
tiny flower-like sea anemone swaying gently in the current.
Beautiful blue and gold wrasse hid in the crevices and yet
again I was amazed at the abundance of marine life and the
stunning colours sparkling in the sunlight which had managed
to penetrate the cool Atlantic waters. Alas, all too soon
the dive was over and we began our ascent, as we relaxed
during our 3 minute stop I pondered the question of who
exactly built the wall???
An exciting high speed boat trip around the corner of the
bay brought us to The Gullies, which proved an entirely
different diving experience. At one point where it got quite
narrow, the steep walls rose vertically on either side like
tall buildings. There was substantially less in the way
of fish although Gerry managed to locate a huge conger eel
resting beneath some rocks. Again, despite my best efforts
to conserve energy and air the dive ended all too soon and
we were back on the boat sharing stories.
Ah the stories – recounting tales of curious seals,
dramatic high seas rescues, describing the best way to spit
on a mask and other tips on the practicalities of diving
(definitely not a glamour sport), witty observations on
life, it was the stories in the evenings shared over a beer
(or yummy dinner – thanks Liam) that made me realize
what a truly amazing sport I had become involved in.
The entertainment in the evenings required almost as much
energy as the diving during the day – the après
dive - a few drinks, way too much dancing (in the company
of Elvis) and lots of chat, fun and frolics ensured everyone
slept soundly at night to begin all over again the next
day.
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved
in trainee week-end – you all made it such a fantastic
experience. A particular thank you to Niall, Shane and John
for giving such excellent pool training, and to everyone
involved in organizing boats, gear, people and the myriad
of other details necessary for enjoyment of the week-end.
From patiently providing valuable info, advice and tips
to providing a helpful hand – and I certainly needed
plenty of help! – ye ensured that I always felt comfortable,
safe and ready for a great time. A special thank for Peader
and Irene – you were both wonderful and made this
week-end truly memorable for me.
Roll on the next week-end away!!!
Brid
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