Falklands Diving expedition (II)
Living in the Falklands year -round means I get a front row seat to watch the unique cycles of the southern ocean. But it’s mostly all viewed from above. This spring I was delighted to be part of the Vinson team guiding divers around Falkland waters- both in my backyard and to the elusive Jason Islands.
The islands gave us a little bit of everything on this expedition. Like it was packing in every weather variable and highlight into the 20-day trip. We had harsh spring storms and giant spring tides. The first , delaying flights and having us hunkered down in 50 knot gusts – the tides making it unsafe to dive at some sites.
We had days when the water was so clean, the air so still , the sun so warm and the wildlife so curious- that it felt like we had dropped into this timeless bubble of perfection and grace. We had bitingly cold dives ,almost zero vis dives-and a little disappointing muddy flat-bottomed dive. We dived under cliffs hidden in mists- we dived amongst tussocky islands with cobbs wren trilling sweetly from the shore and tussac birds clamouring all over the dinghy. We dived above an army of marching lobster krill. We dived with shaggy maned sealions and sleek zippy fur seals. We dived in rocky kelp pools below the biggest black browed albatross colony in the world.
We dived as the algae blooms grew and choked the surface with nutrients-as it fed the tiny phytoplankton’s and in turn the multitudes of shrimp and crustaceans and the armies of krill- the legions of penguins, the swarms of seals. To immerse in the abundance of the Falkland’s is to celebrate in its wild and varied habitats- its fragile timescales and its tempestuous moods.
When we dive in the Falklands, we are diving into one of the last pristine inhabited coastal ecosystems left. This is thanks in part to the nutrient rich Southern Ocean and the fierce gales that force these nutrients to the surface in upwelling events. In part this is due to the small population and the no take fishing zone that wraps the entire shoreline out to 3nm seawards.
This protective zone lets the giant kelp forests grow wild and lush. Kelp is so synonymous with the Falkland’s that Falkland islanders have been referred to as ‘’Kelpers’’. Kelp forests cushion the impact of the ocean swell that pound and erodes the shoreline. They are safe havens for unnumerable invertebrates from kelp clams to urchins to sea-stars. They draw down carbon and store it in their huge leafy fronds which, without the constraints of gravity outgrow terrestrial plant hands down.
These kelp habitats create corridors for sea life to travel through and between .Protection for unique species of animals like penguins and seal pups to transition from land to water and out to sea to hunt. This no take zone is especially important for the hundreds and thousands of breeding seabirds that need to migrate locally each day to forage and rear chicks. With no commercial activity to interfere with this cycle -we are treated to a marine ‘’Seafari’’.
Each time we are lucky enough to have a fully immersive experience of Falkland waters – be it cold , still, sunny, murky -rough or mesmerising- we get the chance to dive a little bit deeper into ourselves and our connection to this landscape.
Giselle Hazell
Nature guide
