Anglesey - 12th - 13th September 2025
Phil prepped and checked Top Cat during the week before we towed it to Anglesey on Friday evening.
The original plan had been to dive the Skerries on Saturday, but Force 4/5 Southwesterlies meant that our only option was Plan B, stay close to shore and launch from Bull Bay. Phil planned a non-tidal dive in The Brickworks and a slack water afternoon dive at Point Lynas.
We met Ian and Tim at Bull Bay to load Top Cat before we motored round to The Brickworks. We had hoped to dive The Pinnacle, but the wind and a choppy sea forced us further round the bay. We settle for a site to the right of the Brickworks. The water was 16c, but the vis was distinctly poor – 1m at best and the seabed was very silty. We spotted a variety of small marine life. Towards the end of the dive, we caught a back eddy as the tide turned which turned a static dive into a drift. The DSMB was deployed and we made our ascent.
We returned to Bull Bay for a quick stop before driving to Point Lynas. We looked at sites just below the lighthouse, but the decision was taken that the conditions weren’t suitable for safe diving. We moved further round the bay, eventually settling for a rocky seabed with a short wall and a small boulder field. It was extremely silty, but we did find Conger Eels, a Tompot Blenny, Dragonets, Gobies, Common Prawn, Gold Sinny, Ballan Wrasse, Lobster, Spider, Edible and Velvet Swimming Crab, Plumose and Dahlia Anemones.
Our return journey to Bull Bay was decidedly lumpy as we had wind over tide, but we were lucky enough to see Harbour Porpoise and diving Gannets.
Thanks to buddies Ian and Tim for an enjoyable day out. Thanks to Tim for being our second Diver Cox.
Pat & Phil
Photos : Phil
Want to Know More? Key Facts:
Porth Wen / The Brickworks (Chris Holden’s Underwater Guide to North Wales Vol. 2, page 110, dive site 6.5) is a large U-shaped bay. Sheltered from all wind conditions except northerly’s, it is easily accessible from Bull Bay by boat. The Club likes diving the pinnacle on the eastern side of the bay, where vertical walls, large rocks and overhangs provide an environment rich in marine life. However the conditions on this occasion meant we were unable to dive our preferred site. Instead, we dropped in on north westerly side of the bay. The seabed is flatter on this side with a muddy bottom. It can be easily stirred up, so good buoyancy is a must if you wish to observe the seabed crawling with brittlestars, starfish, and angular crabs.
Trwyn Eilian / Point Lynas (Chris Holden’s Underwater Guide to North Wales Vol. 2, page 125, dive site 6.19) is a rocky headland that juts northward from the north-east corner of Anglesey. A lighthouse stands on the promontory. Shallow ledges and reefs run out from the northernmost tip, with clusters of large boulders as the water deepens. It is a known viewing spot for the porpoise colony that pass by daily, which our divers were lucky enough to encounter after their second dive!
