Sunny Swanage

Tompot Blennie under Swanage Pier. Image: Christine Grosart

I woke early, still thrilled about the night dive the evening before.

The sea at Swanage was sparkling and there was loads of space to park up on the pier. People kept their social distance and I was able to kit up in peace, checking my camera over and over and hoping for a good hour or so to learn more about photographing critters.

I wasn’t disappointed!

Images: Christine Grosart. Canon EOS 100D, Ikelite housing and DS160/161 strobes, Macro lens.

At barely 2 metres depth it was like being in an aquarium!

Swanage pier was my first proper scuba dive in the ocean 18 years ago and now I was back, taking photos I could only ever have dreamed of.

Tompot blennies posed for photos, a corkwing wrasse obliged as well and was very friendly.

Tompot Blennie. Image: Christine Grosart

I’d forgotten just how enjoyable it is to throw on a single cylinder and jump into the sea right from the shore. Of course, you have to get lucky with the weather and the visibility but this time both were in my favour.

After 90 minutes it was time to get out and check out the images.

I’m learning to love my Citreon Spacetourer which affords me privacy to get changed and somewhere cosy to sit and look through my images and write my blog - just as I am now!

Cuttelfish: Image Copyright Christine Grosart