Robert's Ramblings

A playful greeting from a grey seal welcomed us as we arrived at our Little Skellig dive site, an experience that stood in sharp contrast to the grim events of 1809, when the full-rigged ship Lady Nelson was wrecked here. Of her crew, only two survived while twenty-five souls were lost.

During our dive we were repeatedly “buzzed” by two of these enormous grey seals. Their curiosity drew them close, yet their caution kept them just beyond camera range. It was a magical, slightly mischievous encounter that reminded us we are guests in their underwater world.

Little remains of the Lady Nelson after more than two centuries. A few scattered iron cannons lie on the rocky seabed, the last enduring traces of the ship, survivors themselves of both time and plunder.

Diving in places of such natural beauty, yet shadowed by tragedy, is a humbling experience. It reminds us never to take for granted the power of the sea, nor the privilege of being able to explore it.


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