Top Cat and Cheshire Cat were prepped and checked mid-week ready for towing. The journey down was smooth despite a contraflow through the Conwy tunnel. Nikki had booked accommodation for six near Caernarfon while Phil and I stayed on Anglesey.

On Saturday morning we met in the car park at 8am at Abersoch to launch both boats. Unbeknown to us it was the Menai and Abersoch triathlon. The organisers were extremely helpful and we were able to use the overflow car park to load the boats. The only downside was that the launch and recovery were on a very busy beach rather than the concrete slip.  

Saturday the 21st of June

The journey from Abersoch along the coast of The Llyn Peninsula and then out to Bardsey did not disappoint. We spotted Seals, Puffins, Orcs, Razor Bills, Guillemots, Gannets, Shags and the occasional Fulmar.

Dive 1: Trwyn-Carreg-Tir near Hell’s Mouth. The vis was 6/7m and the water temperature a very surprising 17C. This could explain the number of jellyfish in the first 10m of water. The dive site is a kelp topped boulder slope leading down to a sand gravel and pebble seabed. The boulders were covered in Deadmens Fingers, a variety of sponges, hydroids sea squirts and bryzoa. There was an abundance of Snakelocks Anemones and Double Spiral Worms.

Best finds: Common Lobster, Edible, Spider and Velvet Swimming Crabs, Prawn, Squat Lobster, Gobies, Tompot Blennies, Ballan Wrasse and Nudibranch.

Dive 2: Pen Cristin (Headland East coast of Bardsey Island). The vis was 7/8m and the water temperature 14C. Seabed 20m. A fabulous colourful gentle drift dive across and around rocky ledges and a large boulder field. Best finds: 15+ Cat Shark, huge Edible and Spider Crab. Lobster, Male Cuckoo Wrasse, large shoal of Pollack and a very old Crawfish.