Observation Log: Portland, UK


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Logs by Placemark

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Dredger 04/21/2012

Observer Name:Matt Knifton
Observation Start Time:10:40
Observation End Time:11:26
Weather Conditions: Slight
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 9.3m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Low (0-3m)
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Medium
Water Current Direction: North to South
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Low
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora:
Notable Fauna:Candy stripe flatworm, nudibranch (white with yellow gills, 1cm long), spider carbs, squid, anemone, (half eaten spider crab!)
Other Observer Comments:Notable wear and tear on the buoy attachment on the wreck, broken chain. Rubbish in and around the rock wall to the side of the wreck.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Countess of Erne 04/15/2012

Observer Name: Izzy Imset
Observation Start Time: 11.35
Observation End Time: 12.35
Weather Conditions: Slight to Moderate
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 8-14m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Low (<3m)
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): High
Water Current Direction: North to South
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Medium
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora:
Notable Fauna: Wrasse, Flat Worms (spaced out), 20mm purple-blue Nudibranch, blue (bell/mini) colonies of Sea Squirt on side of hull, Oyster
Other Observer Comments:

Chesil Beach Cove 04/15/2012

Observer Name: Gerry and Angel
Observation Start Time:15.45
Observation End Time:16.31
Weather Conditions: Onshore wind
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 15m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Medium (3-6m) 
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Medium
Water Current Direction:Non
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Non
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): Non
Notable Flora: Lots of colorful see weed returning
Notable Fauna: Several pipefish, 1 Cuttlefish, Small sandeels, Pollock, Spidercrabs, Nudi egg rose, Mermaids purse, Lots of Green worm eggs, 1 small edible crab(infant portion), 20+ nudi's including one we hadn't seen there before which we think was a Coryphella Browni? There was again a general increase in the normal wrasse species we see there.
Other Observer Comments:Unusual to be able to dive Chesil with an onshore wind.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Countess of Erne 04/14/2012

Observer Name: Rene Van Erven
Observation Start Time: 14.40
Observation End Time: 15.40
Weather Conditions: Calm, sunny
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 12m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Low (<3m)
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Low
Water Current Direction: North to South
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Low
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora:
Notable Fauna: Wrasse (occasional), light-bulb sea squirts (patches of)
Other Observer Comments: School of pollock at the stern of the wreck during descent

Dredger 04/14/2012

Observer Name: Rene Van Erven
Observation Start Time: 11.30
Observation End Time: 12.25
Weather Conditions: Sunny, Calm
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 10m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Low (<3m)
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Low
Water Current Direction: N/A
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): N/A
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora: Sea weed, red algae (patches of), [lack of kelp]
Notable Fauna: Wrass (small), occasional crabs
Other Observer Comments: Not much sea life or fish but a lot of plankton in the water

Friday, April 13, 2012

Dredger 04/13/2012

Observer Name: Izzy Imset
Observation Start Time: 11.30
Observation End Time: 12.30
Weather Conditions: Sunny, calm
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 15m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Low
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): High
Water Current Direction: NE to SW
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Low
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora: Sea weed
Notable Fauna: Spider Crabs (mainly male and not in groups), Leach's Spider Crabs (scattered), Common Hermit Crabs, Wrasse, Sea Hare
Other Observer Comments: East of the Dredger inside the bay itself down to 15 metres, light drift. Groups of Sea Hare on rocks, from about 30mm to 70mm in size, appear to be forming a mating chain. Will be worth looking for larger of the species on follow-up dives around the rocks at 12m.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Countess of Erne, 04/08/2012

Observer Name: Graham Wimble
Observation Start Time: 09:10
Observation End Time: 10:00
Weather Conditions: Breezy but calm
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 15m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): High to Med - 10m
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Med
Water Current Direction: Nil
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Nil
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Fauna: Black Faced Blennies, Nudibranch, Cuckoo Wrasse
Other Observer Comments: Great visibility

Chesil Beach Cove 04/08/2012

Observer Name: Gerry and Angel
Observation Start Time: 13.08
Observation End Time: 13.52
Weather Conditions: Overcast with onshore winds
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 13.7m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Low
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Medium
Water Current Direction: Non
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Non
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora: A lot more coloured sea weed
Notable Fauna: Pipefish, Plaice, 6 nudibranches, large cuttlefish, large sandeel, Pollock, Tompot blenny
Other Observer Comments: Water very bitty although the colour is returning to everything. A lot of spider crabs and a lot more fish in general. The large number of nudi's we saw on the last dive were not present this time. Great to see our first cuttlefish, a large one at that but very skittish and shot off straight away. Hard exit due to very low tide!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Chesil Beach Cove 04/07/2012

Observer Name: Brian David & Jackie Howe
Observation Start Time: 12.30
Observation End Time: 16.30
Weather Conditions: Cloudy
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 8-13.5m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Medium 6m
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Low
Water Current Direction: N/A
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): N/A
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora:
Notable Fauna: Butterfish, wrasse, greater pipe fish, sand eels, scorpion fish, bib, pollock, sea cucumber, common starfish, orange clubbed sea slug, candystripe flaw worm, ross coral
Other Observer Comments: Lots of life returning to the beach, good visibility and conditions.

Chesil Beach Cove 04/05/2012

Observer Name: Graham Blackmore
Observation Start Time: 18.30
Observation End Time: 19.20
Weather Conditions: Calm
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 12m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Medium
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Medium
Water Current Direction: West
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Low
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 9C
Notable Flora:
Notable Fauna: Pollack, Wrasse (Ballan and Corkwing) Pipe Fish, Anemone
Other Observer Comments: Summer fauna returning. Water greenish - (algal bloom on way as water warms up).

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Chesil Beach Cove 04/01/2012


Observer Name: Gerry and Angel
Observation Start Time: 13:49
Observation End Time: 14:34
Weather Conditions: Sunny, light onshore breeze
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 15 m
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Low
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Medium
Water Current Direction: N/A
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Low
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 10C
Notable Flora: Sea weed
Notable Fauna: Crimora, Gonidoris Nodosa, Polycera, Orange Clubbed Sea Slug, Candy Striped Flatworm
Other Observer Comments: We saw over thirty (30) of these nudibranches on this dive. We have never seen them in such numbers before - at times up to 6 on the same patch. The Orange Clubbed Sea Slug was the most common seen.