Observation Start Time: 16:00
Observation End Time: 17:10
Weather Conditions: Sunny and calm
Depth of Observations (indicate meters or feet): 7-8m (parallel to shore)
Water Visibility (high, medium, low): Medium avg. 4 m
Water Turbidity (high, medium, low): Medium (Particles and plankton)
Water Current Direction: S-N
Water Current Speed (high, medium, low): Low with slight undertow
Water Temperature (indicate C or F): 15C
Notable Flora: Seaweed, kelp (& kelp forest)
Notable Fauna: Sea hare populations, pollock, wrasse
Other Observer Comments: Check out the Chesil Factsheet or Chesil Photo Album
Izzy and I decided to continue to sketch underwater way-points for the two anchor/monitoring sites (Preveza and old pipeline) following an underwater trail towards the South and keeping at a maximum eight metres depth parallel to shore. Of the marks in the sketch below the boulders seems to have the densest population of sea hare especially where there is strong undertow. The pipeline (to the right of the sketch) is where a genuine kelp forest starts, leading out the length of the pipe (where we are unable to spot any Monkfish although there have been previous reports). There are a lot of spent fishing line at certain point of the pipe which will need a separate dive and some effort to remove. Pollock and the occasional wrasse (did we say sea hare?!) are the main population in this stretch but careful study of the pebbles will reveal baby pipefish. It is probably too shallow for the smaller cuttlefish though. As soon as the kelp forest starts (boulder to the left of the pipe in the sketch) the wrasse are larger and in many colours from the rainbow to yellow. A more extensive report and video will follow -- as well as a trip to recover and remove the line from the pipe.
