It was yet another calm day for our final diving session. Rusty metal was the theme, returning to the E49 first thing. The survey, both formal and informal, continued with the ling making another cameo in addition to plaice, topknot, pollack and shoals of smaller fish. The sun lit the seabed and the tranquillity of this underwater landscape was in stark contrast to the nature of the violence that brought this vessel to its final resting position.
Today’s surface interval was a packed lunch in the sun back at the Baltasound mooring. Our final group dive was the wreck of the Jane, a steamer that fell foul of rocks near Uyeasound, a scenic 30-minute drive away. The 30-metre-long hull is still recognisable but the long period it has spent laying on its marle substrate has been more than sufficient to support a plethora of life. A large, fearless ballan wrasse closely approached each buddy pair, suggesting that it was no stranger to divers and, perhaps, to being fed.
On the way back to Baltasound we pooled the remaining air and threw three shellfish-lovers back in to gather scallops for dinner. Declan and Annette, who had remained on the boat during the two afternoon dives, were then taken back to the E49 to conclude the survey and, in doing so, the 2011 expedition.
