Lawson Wood extols the virtues of one of his most popular dive sites in Scotland’s Berwickshire Marine Reserve – Wuddy Rocks
Photographs by Lawson Woods
Located in the southeast of Scotland and only a scant 15km from the English border, the coastal towns of St Abbs and Eyemouth are home to the United Kingdom’s first voluntary marine reserve, now in its 40th (official) year. Now known as the Berwickshire Marine Reserve, the coastline here is part of one of the largest marine protected areas in Europe.
Why Wuddy Rocks Is One of Scotland’s Best Dive Sites
What brings divers back here year after year is the amazing diversity of marine life to be found in a relatively small area. Depths are easily accessible to all levels of diver (apart from a couple of deeper offshore wrecks), but just out from St Abbs Harbour, a small group of rocks jut out from the headland that forms the St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve. Usually quite sheltered from any northerly swell, the local dive boats will drop you to the south of the rocks and in the lee of any breaking waves. Quickly descending, this rocky reef juts out in fingers of solid rock, with huge boulders at its base.
Location and Access: Diving Near St Abbs Harbour
The Wuddy Rocks are located North of St Abbs Harbour and is an accessible shore dive for both beginners and more experienced divers. There are three surfacing rock formations covered in corals and teeming with marine life.
There are three natural swim-throughs along this reef and depending on the tide and current, you should be able to negotiate them all, but only at high tide, as one of them is quite shallow.
The fissure closest to shore is narrow, steeply inclined and topped with kelp which can cut down any available light, but this can take you safely through and into the next bay. To the right of this, you will find some huge boulders all in a jumble and these are always covered in sea urchins, squat lobster, small shrimps and numerous species of nudibranch. It is behind these boulders that you can find a huge opening that runs through this mini-headland. Easily rivalling the fame of Cathedral Rock, this opening isn’t actually an archway, rather it is just two undercut rock formations that narrows as it approaches the surface.
The current can be quite strong through here, so care should be taken if you wish to come back the same way, however, this dive can also be a forerunner to diving out from the next group of rocks, called The Black Carrs. The Black Carrs are justifiably famous for the large numbers of wolf fish (Anarhichas lupus) which can be found around the 18m mark.
Tides, Visibility, and Safety Considerations
The location of Wuddy Rocks can be influenced by the tidal current, which can be very strong, and divers should remember their DSMB before coming back to the surface and be picked up by the dive boat. Most divers do the scenic tour if their air consumption is good and return the same way they came, all of it underwater. Visibility is generally good all year round, but the southeast coast of Scotland is very exposed and this dive is quite often too rough to consider safely.
“The current can be quite strong through here, so care should be taken if you wish to come back the same way, however, this dive can also be a forerunner to diving out from the next group of rocks”
Back in the cavern, the light is low and a torch is recommended. The bottom is covered in small sea-washed stones which are usually covered in small anemones and brittle starfish. The cavern walls are absolutely festooned with Tubularia hydroids, which are feasted on by various nudibranchs, amphipods and small squat lobster.
These rocks are really the first dive site as you travel north towards St Abbs Head Lighthouse and are often overlooked until the weather turns bad and they are the only sheltered site for miles. Thankfully, everyone now recognises that this site is incredibly photogenic and well worth the effort at any time or state of tide and weather. This is more of a ‘macro’ dive site and while there are wide-angle vistas, it is the profusion of little critters to be found that catches everyone’s attention.
Safety in St Abbs
St Abbs has its own privately operated and sponsored lifeboat and very experienced crew. When the RNLI decided to pull their funding for the inshore lifeboat at St Abbs, the locals and many friends and sponsors raised the necessary funds to purchase and operate their own lifeboat from St Abbs Harbour. The RNLI still have a major presence in Eyemouth.
I discovered the transparent goby (Aphia minuta) for the first time last year as well as lots of species of nudibranchs. In early summer, quite a number of jellyfish tend to congregate in the slipstream of these rocks and, if you are careful in your approach, you should be able to see juvenile whiting which enjoy the luxury of a protective host, keeping them safe from so many different predators.
Just inshore from this site a humpback whale was seen herding up schools of sprats, and minke whales come inshore regularly during the summer months. On virtually every dive along this stretch of coast from Eyemouth and up beyond St Abbs Head towards Fast Castle we have encounters with bottlenose dolphins. This is a regular family which is found along the coast here. Suffice to say that this may be an easy dive, but it has huge potential for excessive photographic and marine biological fun.
Local Dive Services and Air Fills
• Dive Stay at Eyemouth operate the Home Arms Guest House. They have air and nitrox at the Home Arms Hotel in Eyemouth. Contact Jade on 01890 751316.
• Aquamarine Charters at Eyemouth, run by Derek Anderson, has a couple of boats and spends most of his dive time within the Berwickshire Marine Reserve and will drop you on the Wuddies as well as all other sites in the area. Contact Derek on 07860 804316 www.aquamarine-charters.co.uk
• Marine Quest are now well known along the coastline and will do this dive by request, they also have air, nitrox and mixed gas at Eyemouth. Contact Ian on 07780 823884. Email: info@marinequest.co.uk
• Paul Crowe at Dive St Abbs has Rock House Diving lodgings, bunkhouse and air and nitrox fill station. Situated on the harbour, it is perfect for these shore dives. Contact Paul on 01890 771945, 07710 961050. Email: paul@divestabbs.info
• St Abbs Charters have a great little boat, the Stingray, for getting into these tighter spots and will take you to the Wuddies any time you like. Contact Sally or Danny on 07802 864870 Email: info@stabbscharters.com
• The bright yellow ‘Pathfinder’ operates from St Abbs harbour, her owner Paul will take you to all the inshore sites. Paul has an air compressor on board – very handy! Contact: Paul on 018907 71525; 07780 980 179. Email: paul@divestabbs.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Wuddy Rocks located?
Wuddy Rocks are just north of St Abbs Harbour in Scotland’s Berwickshire Marine Reserve, only 15km from the English border.
Is Wuddy Rocks suitable for beginner divers?
Yes. The site is accessible by shore or boat, offers moderate depths, and is often sheltered from northerly swells.
What marine life can be seen at Wuddy Rocks?
Expect nudibranchs, wolf fish nearby, squat lobsters, urchins, nudibranchs, hydroids, gobies and seasonal jellyfish.
Do divers need to use a DSMB at Wuddy Rocks?
Yes. Tidal currents can be strong and DSMB use is recommended for safe surfacing and boat pickup.
What type of diving is Wuddy Rocks best known for?
It’s primarily a macro photography site, though there are wide-angle opportunities and excellent cavern scenes.
This article was originally published in Scuba Diver Magazine
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