Descending into the entry point of Silver Steps, we were immediately greeted by loads of beautiful jellyfish and shoals of sand eels. This seemingly magical dive took place just at our doorstep in Falmouth, and for this month's blog I am here to share this exciting experience with you all.
Crystal jellyfish and Compass jellyfish
At 11:00 am on the 18th of August, me and my dive buddy arrived at Silver Steps, a popular dive site by Pendennis Point in Falmouth. Silver Steps is quite a shallow and sheltered dive site, only reaching about 10 metres max during high tide. Beyond the accessibility, it is abundant with marine life especially in the summer, making it the perfect site for beginner divers and underwater photographers like myself! Before getting kitted up, we decided to walk down to the entrypoint to check out the underwater visibility and tide. This is especially important for dives with cameras, as it often determines where we want to go during the dive and what shots we want to get. On this day the sea was calm and inviting and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue, making it the ideal weather for a dive. At the first glance of the crystal clear water, we spotted four jellyfish from the surface, with a mix of Compass jellyfish and Crystal jellyfish.
Although my initial idea for this dive was to go out and search for some cuttlefish, especially since I saw them a few days prior, at this moment I knew that I wanted to use this opportunity to dig deeper into the world of jellyfish.
A photo taken on my phone of the Compass and Crystal jellyfish we spotted from the surface
Once we got kitted up and we finished our safety check to make sure our gear was working and in the right places, I did my final camera set up and headed off into the water. For this dive, I used the Olympus E-M1 Mark II camera in a Nauticam NA-EM1II underwater housing with a LUMIX 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6II lens, along with one INON Z420 Strobe. This is the standard setup that I learned to use, as part of my course at Falmouth University. Once we hit the water, we decided to descend in the shallows, only around 2 metres deep. Upon descending, we were immediately surrounded by loads of jellyfish, with their bells glistening in the sunlight. Surprisingly, I felt at peace floating amongst these translucent animals. From Compass jellyfish, Crystal jellyfish, to Mauve stingers, they were everywhere! Having heard and read about jellyfish stings, some worse than others, these beautiful alien-like creatures are often associated with fear, just as I feared them before I moved to Cornwall. As I’ve started seeing them on dives and snorkels, I learned more about these animals and grew to respect and love them. Knowledge has dramatically changed the way I view jellyfish, and knowing how to prevent stings and learning how to differentiate each species has helped me overcome my apprehension.
If the idea of swimming in the water with jellyfish makes you a bit nervous, it is definitely worth seeking out information about local jellyfish species! If you know that there are jellyfish in the water, the best way to prevent getting stung is to wear a wetsuit. If you spot a jellyfish as you’re swimming, identifying the type of jellyfish will help to figure out how cautious you should be! For example, if there is a jellyfish with four circles on the transparent bell, it is most likely a moon jellyfish, which has little to no effect on humans when it stings. On the other hand, if there is a translucent brown jellyfish with hundreds of thin tentacles almost like a mane, it is most likely a lion’s mane jellyfish, which gives a severe sting. To learn more about jellyfish in Cornwall, visit the Cornwall Wildlife Trust website:
If you do happen to get stung, seek help from a lifeguard or someone with first aid training. If there is no immediate help, you should rinse the area with seawater and remove any visible tentacles with tweezers. Then, soak in very warm water for at least 30 minutes. For more information, refer to the NHS website regarding marine animal stings.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/jellyfish-and-other-sea-creature-stings/ Despite these possible dangers, once you learn to appreciate them from a safe distance, you may recognise how amazing these mysterious animals are!
This is a shot I captured of a Mauve stinger, only a few minutes into my dive at around 1.8m
After spending around 20 minutes photographing the jellyfish that were surrounding me, I decided to refocus my eyes on the environment around me and that was when I realised that I was also being surrounded by huge shoals of sand eels! Although I have seen them many times before, I had never stopped to appreciate how the sunlight hit them, and the way they travel together. Seeing as I was in their path, I sat and watched them swim swiftly past me. Watching this, it felt like I was sitting in the middle of an underwater city, seeing everything happening all at once. With the shoals of sand eels swimming, jellyfish floating, and loads of Corkwing wrasse going about their day, this was something I had never experienced whilst diving before. Prior to this, I had only thought of sand eels as prey for seabirds and cetaceans, often photographed in the mouths of puffins, but this experience shed a new light on these fish. These wonderful fish are not only important to marine ecosystems, but they are also beautiful to see on dives, especially on a sunny day.
This was one of my many attempts at photographing the shoals of sand eel on this dive
After watching all of this movement happen in the water, I decided to take a step back and look for smaller creatures on the ocean floor. Whilst looking through the floor covered in seaweed, I noticed a long creature poke its head out. This almost dragon-like animal turned out to be the Greater pipefish! This animal is closely related to the seahorse, which you may be able to tell looking at how similar their heads are. Although greater pipefish are known to be bad swimmers, they are covered in hard scales and ridges which protects them against predators. This little animal came out from underneath the seaweed and just sat for a couple of seconds, before slowly swimming away from me. This was my first time seeing a Greater pipefish so it was an exciting moment for me to capture on camera.
This was taken as the pipefish sat, before slowly swimming off into the seaweed
As you can see, I had experienced one of the most amazing dives of my life on this day. Although I was in the water using scuba diving equipment, I would have been able to have a similar experience from snorkelling as well! With a pair of fins, mask, snorkel, and a wetsuit, anyone can immerse themselves in the wonderful world of marine life in Falmouth. Always remember to snorkel with a buddy and let people know where you are going. If you are new to snorkelling, there are snorkel tours offered by local dive centres, which are great introductions to snorkelling in Falmouth. Please remember to always be safe! Falmouth is abundant with beautiful marine life and if you dip your toes into the water, you will see how lucky we are to have all of this just on our doorstep. I am grateful to have gone on this dive for the blog this month, and I hope you were able to learn something new. Hope to sea you next month!
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional and the contents provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, and should not be considered professional medical advice.
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