Cape Wrath is remote and rugged part of Scotland that is logistically a challenge to dive. Vectis Expeditions led an expedition to dive some stunning scenic and wreck dives off the beaten dive track out into the Atlantic and closer to Cape Wrath itself.  This was great experience for BSAC Advanced Diver trainees and also an opportunity to contribute to BSAC Operation Oyster.

Before founding Vectis Expeditions, Andy had led diving expeditions here before.  The diving then was from RHIBS and inflatables and whilst that gave a degree of flexibility to dodge the weather it limited our options in other ways.  This time we had a mother ship – MV Clasina that roam further and seek shelter overnight in picturesque sea lochs and island bays,

The expedition team mustered in Stromness from where we headed out into the Atlantic towards Cape Wrath.  The weather forecast looked good.  Very good.  So much so that the dive sites shifted to the outlying rocks as our primary dive sites – Nun Rock, Sule Stack and North Shoal.

Day 1 – 28th August : Shakedown dive on Nipple Rock,  Caves and Walls off Eilean Nan Non
Day 2: – 29th August : Nun Rock before seeking shelter at Cape Wrath with more Caves and Waves off ‘Jetty’ 
Day 3: – 30th August: Cape Wrath – boulders the size of houses, stunning viz and pure white sandy seabed followed by more of the same but with a search for a shipwreck
Day 4: -31st August: Sule Stack and MV Manina wreck followed by backside of Sule Stack with stunning visibility, deep gulleys and seals playing plus a few spent naval shells from battleships and practice bombs when was used for target practice
Day 5: – 1st September: North Shoal – Explored the north side for dive 1 before diving the unknown werck on the SE side which we had located a number of years ago before returning to Stromness to miss the weather
Day 6: – Relaxing dives at Ingleness and everyone’s favourite the Tabarka on the way back.

One of the Expedition aims besides great diving was to seek out remnant populations of native oysters.  We had low expectations given the revised dive plans out into the Atlantic.  Saddle Oysters were being spotted but it wasn’t until the very last dive than a native oyster shell was spotted on the wreck of the Tabarka on the way back to Stromness. 

It is rare to get out into the Atlantic to dive even one of the sites in a week but to get the three main sites in we were very fortunate.

Great week and a great team made up of BSAC divers from all over the UK.   Thanks to Bob, Katie, Fiona, Andy M, Andy K,  Desmond, Tiago, Jun-Ho, Jane, Laura, Sean, Peter, and Elizabeth for such a great week.