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New West Coast Dive Site – Camus Ban, Harlosh

A trip to the Isle of Skye's West coast and a new dive site for Below the Skye Line Project.  Camus Ban is a sheltered natural harbour near Harlosh and Loch Bracadale.  Being on the West side of the island there are often big swells running when you venture away from the natural shelter close to shore.  It has long been a popular area with sea kayak enthusiasts who enjoy the challenge the West coast brings along with some great stacks and sea cliffs including wonderful sea arches near Idrigill Point. This first dive also showed that it has great potential for underwater photography with a wide variety of plant and marine life, including the shanny (above) having a face off with the camera.  There will be more images when they have all been processed.

And if the lure of the water is not enough to entice you to this part of the island it is also home to the famous Isle of Skye Fudge Company!

Snakelock Anemone

A sponge? (we think)

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Five More Images Available To Purchase as Prints- Premium Paper, Acrylic or Aluminium

We are very pleased to announce that five more images have been released and are available to purchase as prints.  The prints are available as premium paper in either a Lustre or Gloss finish.  They can also be purchased printed on  acrylic or aluminium.

These additions bring our print offering up to ten and we hope to add some more soon.  To view the images available to purchase as prints please click here.

Crabs

Detail of crab eye 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

The close up image of the crab eye has proved to be one of hte most popular recent image.  Perhaps it is because we are all used to seeing crabs in rock pools along the sea shore.  There is fabulous detail in these creatures which only a still image allows you to really appreciate.

Hermit Crab 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

The original campervan!!  On the Isle of Skye we see our fair share of campervans and motorhomes.  Having a mobile home always with you is nothing new.  However, unlike a snail, the hermit crab doesn't produce its shell it borrows one.  Another image that brings out the detail of the scene and how the sand on the crab's shell helps it be camoflaged on the sea floor.  The image was created on the first divie visit to Waterloo, just East of Broadford.

Dragonet and Mussels

Female dragonet fish. 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com More information on this fish can be found at: https://britishseafishing.co.uk/common-dragonet/ (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

If the hermit crab uses sand for camoflage how well does the colour scheme of this dragonet fish act as camoflage against the stony loch floor at Sconser?  Sconser is probably best know for producing some of the Isle of Skye's best scallops which are farmed by moving young scallops in to managed waters to mature.  However we have found it to be productive for underwater photography with a wide range of different sea life being found in the loch's clear waters.

The final images are two more of the young mussels at Carbost.  It may seem a lot of images of the same subject but they do print up very well with their vibrant shells and almost tartan checks!  Could be a design for a kilt lurking there somewhere!

Mytilus edulis (common mussels) have the most wonderful colour when young. As they mature the vibrancy is lost as they take on the more traditional blue shell. 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Mytilus edulis (common mussels) have the most wonderful colour when young. As they mature the vibrancy is lost as they take on the more traditional blue shell. 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

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New Dive Location – Fiskavaig Becomes #30

Fiskavaig

On Sunday, Fiskavaig became our 30th dive location as part of the Below the Skye Line Project.  The images are still being processed but they look very exciting.  Images include: Lion's Mane Jellyfish (very popular last year), Sprats, Sea Mat, Eels and a couple of other treats.

We will be dropping the images into the social media feed before too long.

Sand Eels at Fiskavaig

Fiskavaig is from the Norse language and translates to Fish Bay.  We seem to be collecting 'fishy bays' with Tarskavaig on Sleat (visited in 2019) also from Norse and translating to Cod Bay.

Fiskavaig is a small crofting community found on the Minginish penninsular (translates as Main Headland) to the North of Carbost, an underwater dive site which has proved very successful in 2020.  In 1921 evidence of Pict settlement was discovered when a symbol stone was found on the beach.  This is on display in the Museum of Scotland.

Sprats at Fiskavaig

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