Robert's Ramblings

Just for a moment I felt like I was back in the familiar waters of South Australia where our magnificent southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) is often found in caves and under deep ledges. However, in all my years of diving Southern Australian waters I have never seen our timid crayfish out in the open during the day.

Here below the imposing Skellig Michael, and unlike its distant Australian relative, the European spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) seems absolutely at home out in the open. During our dive we found several crayfish perched on open drop-off walls or foraging under the kelp.

It was amazing observing these beautiful creatures out and about rather than having to peer in caves and under ledges. Unfortunately the same does not apply to lobster which do their best to stay out of sight.

I can only surmise that for the spiny lobster, here off the south west coast of Ireland, a lack of predators has lead to their boldness making them so photogenic.


#crayfish #spinylobster #europeanspinylobster #palinuruselephas #scuba #diving #skelligmichael #critters #underwater