Latest news with #snorkelling
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- The Guardian
I'm obsessed with snorkelling in Scotland: starfish below, sea eagles overhead – and it really isn't that cold
People always ask me: isn't it too cold to snorkel in Scotland? And I reply that while it's obviously much cooler than it would be in Spain, the sea does warm up from May, when the temperature rises from about 9C to as high as 12-15C by August and September. I go snorkelling in Scotland all year round. I work for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, developing snorkelling trails on the Scottish coast and creating guides to the places you can go to enjoy snorkelling in a particular area. But even so, the Wildlife Trust always recommends wearing a wetsuit. In the UK, we sometimes think that to connect with nature you have to go to really exotic, faraway places and spend a lot of money. But actually, it can be more effective to connect with the local marine life on your doorstep. Snorkelling doesn't cost much money or require a great deal of training. It's one of the most accessible sports to enjoy in the sea: some of the best snorkelling I've ever done has been in water I could stand up in. It's also a very sociable activity because you should never snorkel alone. You should always have a buddy (and ideally a mug of hot chocolate waiting for you afterwards). One of my favourite snorkelling experiences is swimming over a kelp forest, which are prevalent around Scotland. You see these beautiful, golden fronds of kelp undulating with the waves, which are home to an incredible amount of small fish, colourful beadlet and dahlia anemones, starfish and brittle-stars. Sometimes, you can even see them catching prey. Another time, I saw a huge show of sand eels beneath me. Then I put my head up and saw some seals on the beach and a pod of dolphins in the sea, coming over to say hello – right at that moment, some sea eagles flew low over our heads. When I talk to my colleagues in other European countries about snorkelling, they often talk about the overcrowding caused by tourism and how that is a hugely challenging part of their job. I feel very fortunate that in Scotland, we don't have that same strain on most of our natural places. Having said that, I've noticed snorkelling in Scotland has increased a lot in popularity since the pandemic, and coastal communities are leading the way in championing that. I think people are realising that it's an amazing thing to do for yourself for health reasons – mental and physical – but also for society, because it can remind you that the sea is an extraordinary place where nature is in decline. Hopefully that inspires more people to protect it. Research also suggests that cold water immersion can have physiological and emotional benefits. I find, when I get into the water, the coolness takes away all my worries and anything that was niggling away at me in my mind. Finally, there's so much cultural history in Scotland tied to the sea and coastal communities. Sometimes, you might be snorkelling below a castle or through sea caves or a harbour – you gain an understanding of the connection between people and the sea over time. The Scottish Wildlife Trust's latest project, Sea the connection, aims to reduce barriers some people face when connecting with the sea. As told to Donna Ferguson
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Man suddenly felt sick before fatal cliff fall in Banks Peninsula
Emergency services were called to Little Pigeon Bay Rd on Sunday. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon A man who died after falling from a cliff in Banks Peninsula felt suddenly sick before he fell. Emergency services were called to Little Pigeon Bay Rd on Sunday afternoon, and the man's body had to be flown out of the area by helicopter. Senior constable Anita Osborne said the man was part of a group of four who had been snorkelling and collecting seafood in the area. The group had climbed up a bank to go around a rocky outcrop due to the tide, and the man reported feeling unwell suddenly and fell onto the rocks, she said. "One of his companions went straight to the man and commenced CPR, while a second ran to an area where they could get cellphone coverage, in order to call 111. "Tragically, despite the efforts of the man's friends and emergency services staff, the man was unable to be revived," Osborne said. The death would be referred to the Coroner. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie snorkeller's deadly find 'cruising' in popular rock pool
A seasoned snorkeller was stunned to spot a small, deadly creature "cruising around" the rock pool he was exploring, telling Yahoo News he may likely "never see one again in my life" despite spending hours of his time under the waves. Scott Gutterson has been diving the waters off Kiama on NSW's South Coast for eight years and, despite getting up close and personal with rays, sharks, and even finding a message-in-a-bottle, he was still overjoyed to find a blue-lined octopus earlier this month. The octopus is one of the most venomous creatures in the ocean. "It was like a 50-cent-sized rock that wasn't moving... I must have got too close because it got defensive and its colour changed a lot," he told Yahoo. It was the distinctive blue lines that drew Scott's attention to the octopus, a clear warning sign from the creature not to get any closer. The blue-lined octopus, a species of the more commonly known blue-ringed octopus, carries enough venom to kill 26 adults within minutes. However, they are usually very timid. Their bite is small and often painless, often only occurring if the creature is picked up. There have been at least three documented deaths and multiple near-fatalities from blue-ringed octopuses, according to the Australian Museum. 👀 Warning to always 'check rock pools' after little boy's deadly beach encounter 😲 Boy's innocent beach mistake with deadly blue-ringed octopus 🥲 Woman pictured 'playing with death' on beach holiday Deadly creature 'hard to spot' in Aussie waters Due to their size and timid nature, few snorkellers are lucky enough to come across blue-lined octopuses in the wild. Scott explained one of his mates has regularly snorkelled at known habitats around Kiama in search of the species, but has left without so much as a glimpse. "My friend has literally gone to places where they know blue octopuses are there, and hasn't been able to find them. They're very little creatures that are hard to spot at the best of times... That's why it was pretty cool to see," he said, explaining he revisited the rock pool twice after the octopus encounter to try to find it again, but had no luck. "It caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to see one in the rock pool that day," Scott said. He explained there was great visibility in the shallow rock pool, and his excitement caused people to gather above him, with one passerby even snapping a shot of Scott with the octopus. "To see this little guy just cruising past... it was just amazing." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
Devon man drowns in strong currents while on holiday
A man from Devon drowned while snorkelling with sea turtles off a small, uninhabited Caribbean island, an inquest has newspaper editor Gareth Weekes, 77, was on a week-long yachting trip in St Vincent and the Grenadines when the incident happened in March 2023, Exeter Coroner's Court was wife, Alison Weekes, said she and her husband were not told about the currents ahead of being left in the told the hearing: "I fully accept his death was accidental, but we had no warnings about currents and no means of communication from the uninhabited island - the dinghy disappeared." The yacht's captain and the Dutch company that organised the holiday said that the swimming and snorkelling trips were free activities, but the risks and responsibilities lay with the guests Weekes told the coroner she believes the sailing company should improve their safety procedures. Mrs Weekes said her husband - a former editor of the Tavistock Times Gazette - was an "adequate swimmer" and had swum from the yacht on previous said Mr Weekes chose not to use flippers on the day in question, as they were difficult to walk with on the entered the sea together, but she left the water when her mask misted up, before realising her husband was appealed to other tourists for help, before one of the yacht's dinghies returned after 20 minutes, when a "frantic" Mrs Weekes told the crewman her husband was crew searched for Mr Weekes, finding him clinging to ropes at the edge of the snorkelling took Mr Weekes back to the yacht, where he was given CPR, but could not be saved.A post mortem concluded he died from drowning and he also had atrial fibrillation and Parkinson's senior Devon coroner, Philip Spinney, recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Widow of British holidaymaker who drowned snorkelling off Caribbean island accuses yacht cruise company of poor safety
The widow of a British holidaymaker who drowned while snorkelling off a Caribbean island has accused the yacht cruise company of poor safety. Gareth Weekes, 77, of Clayhidon, Devon was onboard a luxury yacht with his wife Alison Weekes, alongside 25 other guests and 10 members of crew, off the coast of St Vincent and the Grenadines when he tragically died on March 8, 2023. Now, his heartbroken widow has claimed that the couple received 'no warning' from members of staff regarding the risk of 'currents', adding that she believes the sailing company should improve their safety procedures as a result. Exeter Coroner's Court heard that both Alison and her husband, a retired journalist and former editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo, had been taken by a dinghy to the beach off the island early that morning while away on holiday. Ms Weekes, who had been married to Mr Weekes for 17 years, previously described her beloved husband as having 'enormous integrity and empathy' and a keen sailor. She said that on the morning of that fateful day, Mr Weekes, a -father-of-four, did not use flippers as he said they were difficult to walk with on the beach. While the pair entered the sea together, Ms Weekes faced difficulties with her mask. When she emerged from the water, her husband was nowhere to be seen. Becoming 'frantic', Ms Weekes quickly enlisted the help of other members of the public in attempting to find Mr Weekes. After 20 minutes, one of the dinghies returned, with the crewmen immediately informed of his disappearance. A crewman eventually located Mr Weekes, found hanging onto ropes at the edge of the snorkelling zone. He was then taken to their 54 metre yacht and given CPR, but unfortunately did not survive. Both the captain of the yacht and the Dutch company that organised the trip said that both the swimming and snorkelling trips were free activities, but that the risks and responsibilities laid with the guests themselves. However, Ms Weekes refuted such claims, adding that while she 'fully accepts' that her husband's death was 'accidental', the pair 'had no warnings about currents and no means of communication from the uninhabited island. The dinghy disappeared'. She also added that her husband was an 'adequate swimmer' and had been able to swim from the yacht in the previous days. Previously described as a 'wonderful father' with 'kindness running through everything he did', Mr Weekes' daughter, Jenna Fansa, told The Echo: 'Dad took a very genuine interest in everyone he met - together with his wit and engaging writing style, this made him a very talented journalist. 'We are so very lucky to have had him.' Meanwhile, Mr Weekes' eldest daughter, Veryan Canston, spoke highly of her father's 'boundless enthusiasm and gung-ho zest for new experiences'. Reflecting on his incredible life, she told the publication: 'Dad died how he lived - taking risks, having adventures, exploring the world and approaching life with boundless enthusiasm and a gung-ho zest for new experiences. 'We are glad he was having those adventures right up till the end.' Mr Weekes also had two stepchildren - Poz Watson and Maddie Flint - as well as 11 grandchildren. He was survived by his two sisters, Carolyn Arthurs and Jane Revill. Born in Cardiff in October 1945 and growing up in south Wales, Mr Weekes worked at a firm of solicitors before becoming a journalist. He edited weekly newspapers in Tavistock and Salisbury before later becoming the editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo. A post mortem investigation into his 'tragic and sudden death' concluded that the British holidaymaker died from drowning. He was also found to have had atrial fibrillation and Parkinson's disease. Senior Devon coroner Philip Spinney recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
