On 13 September, seven members of Cardiff BSAC headed to Lundy Island for a day of diving with its famous grey seals. For many, it was their first time diving around the island and their first opportunity to encounter seals underwater. Despite some less-than-ideal weather, it turned out to be a fantastic day of diving!
The adventure began the evening before, with many of the group travelling to Ilfracombe for an overnight stay. With everyone staying in various accommodation around the town, the group came together for dinner and a chance to catch up ahead of the following day’s diving.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t entirely on our side. Rain, wind and sizeable waves made for a particularly lively crossing aboard our charter boat with Wild Frontier Charters. The journey from Ilfracombe to Lundy took around an hour and a half, and conditions were rough enough that standing up wasn’t really an option. Thankfully, everyone managed to keep their breakfast down!
Arriving at Lundy, we headed for Gannets’ Bay, where we’d spend both dives exploring the shallow waters frequented by the island’s resident grey seals.
It wasn’t long before we spotted plenty of seals resting on the rocks, with around five to ten joining us in the water during our dives.
For many of the group, this was their first experience of diving with seals, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Some were particularly inquisitive, approaching divers and even playing with their fins, while others preferred to observe us curiously from a distance.
We quickly discovered that the seals weren’t especially keen on large groups of divers. Although we’d entered the water in pairs and threes, we occasionally found ourselves bumping into other club members underwater. This proved a little intimidating for our new friends, so we made an effort to spread out and give them plenty of space.
Visibility was around three metres, but with most of the seal activity taking place in very shallow water, there was still plenty to see. Our scuba equipment also meant we could settle in and enjoy watching the seals without having to constantly return to the surface.
With water temperatures hovering around a comfortable 19°C, we managed two dives of approximately an hour each. Even after spending that long underwater, nobody was particularly eager to cut their encounters short!
A couple of underwater cameras were also on hand to capture some of the action.
By the end of the day, the weather had started to improve, making for a slightly more pleasant return journey to Ilfracombe.
Despite the challenging crossing and unpredictable British weather, everyone came away delighted with the experience. For several members, getting so close to seals in their natural habitat was something they’d wanted to do for a long time, and the trip certainly lived up to expectations.
A big thank you goes to Steve C for organising the trip, and to Wild Frontier Charters for getting us safely to and from Lundy.
It’s safe to say that Lundy has earned its place on our list of diving destinations worth revisiting. Hopefully, we’ll see even more Cardiff BSAC members joining us on future adventures!
Cardiff BSAC is a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club
The British Sub-Aqua Club is the UK governing body for recreational scuba diving
