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This is when he came ashore to rest…

Here’s a photo of a couple of them:

The Sea Squirt is a semi-transparent tube-like critter, averaging the size of an adult index finger.

The photo is in macro mode so you can just about see the close-up details of the sea squirt, and you’ll notice some colouration around the opening at the top of the body.

This helps identify it as a yellow ringed sea squirt (ciona intestinalis).

Sea squirts have a sac-like body with two siphons (one to inhale and the other to exhale) through which they siphon water from which they extract nutrients.

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For more posts with photos of life in the marina, click here…

Other Posts from this Dive

This post was written following a Dive in North Harbour on 14th April 2007, for other posts relating to this dive, including more photos, please checkout the following:

• Focus on Jellyfish in Eastbourne Marina
• Focus on Starfish in Sovereign Harbour

The photo below shows one of around 30 starfish that I swam over during my dive:

The photo shows the commonest of the starfish I encountered, and this one was one of the largest at about 20cms across.

You’ll also notice (if you squint a little) that there are quite a few shellfish living nearby.

Related Articles

For more posts with photos of life in the marina, click here…

Other Posts from this Dive

This post was written following a Dive in North Harbour on 14th April 2007, for other posts relating to this dive, including more photos, please checkout the following:

• Focus on Jellyfish in Eastbourne Marina

It’s may end up being quite a sad tale…

Last time it was a porpoise and this time it’s a dolphin, that has somehow got separated from it’s pod, and has ended up swimming aimlessly in the outer harbour boat channel of Sovereign Harbour.

As you can see from the photo, a lot of wellwishers turned out to watch with their fingers crossed that everything would turn out ok…

The story continues…

The unfortunate dolphin first appeared last night and it was dark before any of the marine welfare agenicies could send someone to look.

In these situations, it can often be more stressful for the animal if you try to intervene, so it’s normal to watch from a distance to see whether it is able to make it’s own way back out to sea.

When, after a couple of tide changes, it was obvious that this wasn’t going to happen, the RNLI inshore boat and a couple of marine rescue workers managed to coax the dolphin out to sea, and monitor it.

The story was picked up by the local Meridian ITV news this evening, and included video footage.

Unlike the porpoise from a few years ago which didn’t survive, the last we heard of the dolphin was that it had made it out to sea and was looking ok, though whether it could find the rest of the pod was uncertain.

I’m sure, like me, you’ll keep your fingers crossed ;-)

Thought I’d start with something you can see without having to get wet :-)

This time of the year, all areas of Sovereign Harbour are awash with jellyfish like the ones in the picture below:

Read on to hear what it’s like to dive with them…

As you can see from the photo, the visibility in the marina was quite good (for the marina at least). You can just about see my dive buddy Chris in the background; he’s about 5-feet away.

The jellyfish varied in size from tiny ones about the size of a 50p piece, to the largest which were around the diameter of a CD.

What about the sting I hear you ask…

Well fortunately, although they do sting, it isn’t a very powerful one. With the protection of my scuba gear (dry suit, gloves and hood), the only exposed part of my body is my face, and after a 50-minute dive, my cheeks tingled a little, something like mild stinging nettles.

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For more posts with photos of life in the marina, click here…

Did you know that it contains, amongst other things, some seahorses…
…

Local boat fisherman Martin Wiltshire revealed at a recent meeting of Planet Divers scuba club, that he’s been capturing a number of seahorses in his nets whilst fishing off of Eastbourne.

Amazingly this hasn’t been an isolated incident, and often there are more than one.

Here’s a photo of two seahorses recently captured:

Fortunately for the unfortunate seahorses, Martin is an avid diver and keeps all seahorses on board until he can return to Sovereign Harbour, where he can release them in the calm waters of the marina.

To date  he has released around ten seahorses of a variety of sizes, and the hopes are that they can develop into a breeding colony.

I have some more photos which I will add once I’ve setup a photo gallery feature that I’m currently investigating. 

Let me know what you think,

Wishing you health, success and happiness in everything you do,

Jon

The ‘She’ in question is the HMS Resolution (known to have foundered in Pevensey Bay during the Great Storm of 1703), or could it be a Dutch Warship (lost during the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690)…

The mystery deepens…

The story started in April 2005 when 3 local scuba divers were diving to free some snagged lobster pots, stuck in Norman’s Bay.

What they discovered was to change their lives, and is likely to be the topic of many a new chapter in the maritime history books.

Paul Stratford, one of the divers has led the subsequent investigation into this previously undiscovered wreck of a wooden ship surrounded by at least 45 iron guns (cannons).

His unrelenting passion for this has led to him becoming the official licensee for the wreck, as he deals with the many diverse organisations in an attempt to get to the bottom of this fascinating story.

His progress so far is charted on the Resolution Project website which I highly recommend  (it is also featured as a ‘related link’ from this blog’s home page).

For 2007, Paul hopes that a number of interested divers who belong to Planet Divers Dive Club  will go through the appropriate Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) courses to become proficient enough to be allowed to dive on the protected wreck.

This will then be the start of a painstaking underwater survey effort to sift through the evidence and hopefully get to the point of being able to put a proper name to a maritime conundrum.

I for one hope to be one of the lucky divers, and I’ll report back as soon as there is something to tell ;-)

Let me know what you think,

Wishing you health, success and happiness in everything you do,

Jon

Paul Stratford, club member and licensee of the recently discovered wreck in Normans Bay(believed to be the British warship Resolution built in 1665) invited Ian Barefoot from the Nautical Archaeological Society (NAS) to discuss the role that this voluntary organistion has in educating, recording and interpreting British Maritime History.

Whilst awareness of Archaeology has increased since Tony Robinson (who’s an avid scuba diver by the way) appeared on our TVs, most people’s perception is sitting in a muddy hole with a toothbrush.

In fact, the physical collection of artifacts is only the tip of the iceberg, and the majority of archaeology is using the physical information to better understand the technological, social, and economic conditions at the time.

It was also suprising to discover that the majority of marine archaeology is in fact out of the water. It’s a very rare and exciting occasion to be involved on a Mary Rose, or indeed in our local case, an HMS Resolution.

NAS runs a series of courses to help educate divers into the specific challenges of working underwater to survey and record details of wrecks and other items of interest without damaging the wreck.

I’m looking forward to doing my basic training so that I can join Paul and other club members as we can put our newly acquired skills to good use.

Wishing you health, success and happiness in everything you do,

Jon

Seasearch is a national project that encourages divers to help build an accurate picture of the marine life encountered on their dives.

The information collected is entered into a central database that is used by marine biologists and conservationalists to help monitor and protect marine species all around the UK.

Seasearch Sussex branch started in Chichester Harbour and has gradually extended it’s scope so it covers the entire Sussex coastline.

To participate in this programme, Seasearch provides an initial one-day ‘Observer’ course, to teach the basics about identifying and recording marine life data.

The next level is a two-day ‘Surveyor’ course which trains participants to record information to a greater level of detail.

More information on seasearch can be obtained by visiting their website at http://www.seasearch.org.uk

The Sussex branch is based at County Hall in Lewes and their website is listed in the sidebar under the heading ‘Related Links’ (http://www.sussexseasearch.org.uk).

Readers of this blog can keep up to date with my progress through these courses and see the future results of the local dives I make and share some of the many and varied sea creatures that I encounter.

 Wishing you health, success and happiness in everything you do,

Jon

• Introduction to the form and function of fishes
• Life history, feeding and reproduction
• Range of fishes seen in British and Irish waters
• How to identify Fish
• Conservation of Fish in local waters

The seminar costs £30 and further information can be obtained from Bryony Chapman at the Kent Wildlife Trust on 10622 662 012

Don’t forget to mention marina-life.co.uk when enquiring.

Thanks

Jon