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Another fun overwinter job is to service “Atlantic Diver’s”  liferaft. At Liferafts and Inflatables, Ed Banyard offers an amazing service and even invites customers to see their Liferaft inflated. This gives an ideal opportunity for skippers and crew to familiarize ourselves with the life saving piece of equipment. We open the liferaft box and begin to inflate. It has two tubes for safety that inflate one at a time.  A bag full of emergency survival kit is checked too and amusingly, it contains a SMALL handpump….skipper Chris immediately allocates possible job of  keeping raft well inflated to Annabelle in the guise of “It will keep you warm love!”…hmmm I pulled the short straw there then!Luckerly this one inflates with a compressed gas cylinder and the job is done in seconds. For more info about the process please click on link below:

http://www.liferafts-inflatables.com/?page_id=12

A few hours later on the same day Ed and his team have the Liferaft back to Atlantic Diver and we are ready for sailing the ocean wide again. Passengers can feel safe that crew are confident in the deployment and handling of the liferaft.

Ever wonder what it looks like  being deployed at sea…check out ed’s website for some video action…enjoy!  Please click on the link below:

http://www.liferafts-inflatables.com/?page_id=114 

Despite the changeable Easter weather…a family from Belgium were enjoying a Sea Safari aboard Atlantic Diver and learning that Lobsters are actually "Blue" when they are fresh from the sea . They learned about ; Spider Crabs, Edible Brown Crabs , Star Fish and Lobster as well as meeting Medallion Man the semi -resident Grey seal to Newquay Harbour.

For more info about the lives of lobsters please visit our friends at The National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow or click on the link below for more info:

www.nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk

Chris and I were snorkelling today near to Newquay harbour when we swam right over the top of Medallion Man , Newquay's Semi-resident Grey Seal. He was fast asleep on the sea bed bottom, right next to a bed of kelp. It was really funny as the slight swell was rolling slightly backwards and forwards much in the same motion as  a baby's cot would swing. He continued to snooze gently and then meerly peeped at us through one open eye before returning to his slumber. Lack of breath meant he returned to surface occassionally and at one point he hauled out on a close by rock and rolled onto his back for a real good back scratch…just like a big bear would do up and down a tree trunk. We amused him for a few seconds as he lolled off the slippery rock and over to us before again returning to log on the sea bed bottom….I Love MM!!!

Click on link below for you tube footage of him asleep on the seabed bottom

http://youtu.be/3tC1ncRm2SU

The new Grey Seal visiting Newquay Harbour yesterday greeted us on return from a spectacuarly beautiful Scenic Newquay Sea Safari where we spotted a seal hauled out and 4 in the sea. As yet the seal is unamed by the Cornwall Seal Group photo ID data base and so after spotting some unusually long ear flaps we have nicknamed this gorgeous seal “Shrek”. He is still a little timid but very respectful around Dr Who the large Bull Seal who always takes top spot in the begging for fish from the boats. Shrek has a few scars to his back which sadly points to prop strike..a hazard of becoming too close to boats. He has also picked up a fish feather and hook ! Hopefully this will work its way out or drop out during his annual molt. Lucky divers during the morning trips saw 2 basking sharks  and two pods of common dolphins both with juveniles but we were unable to spot them later in the afternoon. However we did see a huge flock of at least 250 Gannets diving for fish which was quite spectacular and 1  compass jellyfish and 1 moon jellyfish.

 Fynn caught this Lovely little Cod aboard Bounty….welll done Fynn

We began our Blue Shark Cage Diving Expedition on an amazing calm , hot, balmy summer's day….yes I do mean in the UK…off Newquay …deep out to sea where 32 of our British Sharks dwell . Our Shark enthusiasts boarded "Atlantic Diver" in Newquay harbour and off we sped passing Yachts racing and Dolphins playing…this was set to be a spectacular day!

Chris prepares the Rubbie Dubbie ready to attract the Sharks to Atlantic Diver! Good job this isn't Smellivision.

After only a short wait our first Blue Shark appeared…We watched in amazement as the 2.5m Blue Shark attacked the Rubbie Dubbie bag and tore it to shreds just below the surface of the water, its tail fin thrashing around with immense power….absolutely AWESOME!! viewing

Shark enthusiasts enjoying the Shark Cage waiting for next Shark to appear..earlier Divers were lucky enough to see two Common Dolphins swim right passed the cage…jealous !!

Common Dolphins were feeding a short distance from Atlantic Diver all day and provided great entertainment whilst we waited for the shark. A cute pod passed with a nursery of calves and had all of us cooing!

A few Blue Jellyfish floated past the cage and allowed us to explore their beautiful structure.

And sadly we had to say goodbye to Leyla…our Newquay Marine College ,Marine Conservation Work Experience student. Thanks for a couple of great weeks, she has experienced all weathers on the boat this summer and will no doubt join our team again soon…good luck next year.

Delighted John caught this 20lbs Ling aboard our new Catamaran "Atlantic Explorer" this fish was sustainably caught with a rod and line using squid as bait . Skipper chris Lowe said " it put up a good fight but John was keen to have it home for his supper". The fishermen were targeting pollack when a Tope also took the line. Gary released the 1.6m Tope after carefully removing the hook and handled as per advice from the Shark Trust. Details of the catch were sent to the Shark Trust.

Dave Jarvis our British Diver Marine life Rescue Co- ordinater sent out an urgent message to us today. Hundreds of Guillemots our beautiful local diving sea birds are washing into the South coast of cornwall covered in a sticky waxy secretion making it impossible for them to fly. Help is desperately needed to help rescue. Advise if you find an affected bird is to put on gloves place in a ventilated cardboard box and call dave Jarvis on 07774711949 to await instructions for removal to West Hatch RSPCA rescue centre.

More info on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-21275648

and on the BDMLR website:  http://www.bdmlr.org.uk/index.php?mact=News%2Ccntnt01%2Cdetail%2C0&cntnt01articleid=918&cntnt01origid=54&cntnt01returnid=54

For those of you who remember Leyla …our gorgeous and brainy Marine Student Wildlife Guide well she has been busy this winter compiling her "Atlantic Diving" and " Newquay Sea Safaris and Fishing" work experince to display at The Newquay Marine College  Atlantic Centre. We had a great day up there learning what the students had done over the summer, but of course we think Leyla's was best. Well done Leyla…top student!!

Farmer

Stags out on 2 Hour Mackerel Newquay Fishing Trip with Atlantic Diver ..Boat looks great in the Harbour with plenty of room for stags…Two of the semi resident grey seals Dr Who and Trunk visit the boat

Dr Who is so Gorgeous…then stags out to see again