Bajo de Dentro - Cave and Chimney

Bajo de Dentro

Bajo de Dentro is a rocky submerged pinnacle located in the Islas Hormigas marine reserve off the tip of Cabo de Palos in Murcia.  The marine reserve consists of 19 sq km of protected water characterized by an extremely high diversity of aquatic life.   

The pinnacle consists of a rocky outcrop which rises up from a sandy seabed at around 50 metres and reaches a depth of around 3 to 4 metres.  Its northern side comprises of a gently sloping platform some 20-30m in length which lies in 12-16m of water. Both the eastern & western sides consist of steep walls and the easterly wall is almost vertical & deeper.

We dived with the Naranjito scuba diving centre from the port of Cabo de Palos in a RIB.  Bajo de Dentro lies exactly 4 km from port, within the marine reserve of Islas Hormigas taking around 10-15 minutes to get there.  

Because of the currents that surround the pinnacle as well as its coveted protected marine reserve status, Bajo de Dentro is extremely rich in both marine flora and fauna.  Large schools of both sea perch, Chromis, Corva, Bream & Mojarra are guaranteed, which in turn attract shoals of Barracuda, Groupers & Dentex. Amongst the rocks lies sanctuary for Scorpion fish, Brotala, Lobsters, Moray and Conger Eels.  There is also an abundance of soft corals such as Gorgonias. You can occasionally spot eagle rays, sunfish & maybe turtles.

Common marine life: large groupers, moray eels, eagle rays, barracuda shoals, dentex, sun fish, slipper lobsters, bream, blennies.

Visibility: From 10 m to 40m
Min depth: 4m
Max depth: 50m
Experience level: Open water and above
Conditions: This site is situated in open waters so can be affected by some strong currents and a north easterly wind.

The Cave - Bajo de Dentro

The cave is at a depth of 20 metres.

The Chimney - Bajo de Dentro

Star Fish

Gorgonia

Jelly fish, Pelagia noctiluca, aka mauve stinger.

This jelly fish's sting was quite painful.  During the diving season I regularly saw this species in the water around Murcia.  I managed to successfully avoid its sting.  However one day on climbing into the boat I did feel an extremely sharp pain on my ear lobe. At first I thought my ear-ring had been ripped out.  The sensation was close to what I imagine the pain would be from a hammer strike on my lobe and an anvil!

Safety stop - 3 minutes @ 5 meters

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Scapa Flow - The Orkney Islands

Dive #54 - 65

Scapa Flow is a bay in the Orkney Islands which has acted as a natural harbour for centuries, long since Viking expeditions began arriving.  In the build up to the First World War it was decided that a northern British naval base would be needed to control the entrances to the North Sea - Scapa Flow served this purpose.

After defeat in the First World War, 74 ships of the German High Seas Fleet were interned at Scapa Flow.  Their fate was to be decided in the peace Treaty of Versailles however on 21 June 1919, after a wait of 9 months, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter took the decision to scuttle the enormous fleet.

A great salvage operation ensued which has been become known as the greatest salvage operation of all time.

There are now seven ships of the German High Seas Fleet still resident in Scapa Flow, as well as numerous fishing boats and blockships, making the bay an extremely popular scuba diving destination.

During my trip to Scapa Flow I managed to dive:

• The SMS Karlsruhe - light cruiser.
• The F2 & YC21- German torpedo recovery vessel and British salvage barge.
• The Tabarka - 2,624 ton steamer at 12m which has settled upside down in Burra Sound.
• HMT Loch Garry  - boom defence boat.
• Oceana, Eday - tug boat.
• SS Loch Maddy - 4,995 to vessel torpeded and blown in two by a U-boat now lying at 12 metres.
• Endeavour - wreck of a trawler.
• Aoranghi - block ship.
• Kronprinz Wilhelm battleship.
• SMS Coln -light cruiser.
• MV James Barrie - fishing vessel.
• SMS Brummer - light cruiser.

Video of the SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm, SMS Koln and SMS Brummer, which I also dived, by Dory Productions

 

Ventotene, Italy

Ventotene is part of the Pontine Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.  I visited the island twice as it is a fantastic scuba diving spot and, like numerous places in Italy, is a fascinating and very seductive place rich in history.  It is a diving mecca amongst Italian scuba divers and home to Diving World Ventotene, Italy's first scuba diving centre which opened in 1978.
 

 

During the Roman empire the island was chosen by many emperors as the ideal destination to banish troublemakerd.  Benito Mussolini also restructured a prison camp on the neighbouring island of Santo Stefano and sent many prominent political opponents there, including Sandro Pertini who would later become President of Italy.

View of Santo Stefano island

Ventotene is unforgettable for me as it was here that I did my first wreck dive, first night dive, as well as my deepest ever dive.  The wreck was of a steamer that was sunk by British bombers in July 1943.  The ship was carrying only civilians.  It now lies split in two at 46m.  This was the deepest dive that I have ever done.   

The Santa Lucia.

Dive #30

Le Sconiglie

Depth: 20m

Time: not recorded