I still find myself thinking I’m back in South Australia whenever I come across the European spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas), which looks almost identical to the southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii). Here in Ireland, this beautiful creature is mostly ignored by the fishing industry in favour of the much sought-after European lobster (Homarus gammarus). From […]
Read More
It had been far too long since I last soaked up the briny magic off the coast of Kerry. No matter how many years I’ve been diving, I still feel a flicker of nerves before that first descent, especially this time — testing out a new camera setup that had flooded once before. Once down, […]
Read More
In Ireland now it’s winter, it’s cold, the light is low and the ocean’s grey scorn has about as much appeal as hiking in mud. Still I miss her. On some dives the visibility is poor to the point of blindness. On some dives the green haze of plankton is disorients like deep fog. On […]
Read More
There’s a hidden spot on the western side of Doulus Head, County Kerry, that you could easily sail or motor past without a second glance. Like much of this rugged coastline, the jagged cliffs and seawalls don’t exactly invite closer inspection – getting too near could mean being dashed to pieces on the rocks. So […]
Read More
Diving off the Kerry coast I am starting to become familiar with ‘the locals’, or as we would have said back in South Australia, ‘the usual suspects’. The lesser spotted dogfish is now on my local list of ‘usual suspects’ and is always a welcome sight on any of my dives, ‘dog day’ or otherwise.
Read More