Final Friday Top Five!

Final Friday Top Five

Fish I'd Like To See When Diving


5. Nudibranch

Photo from Natural History Museum

I almost feel like this answer is cheating, because I have seen nudibranchs while diving. I think. But I saw one type. A little brown blob which in the coming tide could have been flora or fauna, we didn't stay still long enough to really tell. There are over 3,000 types of nudibranch, so I would like to see more than just one "maybe" brown one. 


4. Basking Sharks

Photo from The Times

Originally, I wasn't going to include sharks or big things on this list because we all know I want to see all the sharks. Even the terrifying goblin shark. But basking sharks swim in my waters which means I have an increased chance of seeing them - especially in comparison to goblin sharks which live in all the deep trenches. Basking sharks have a migration path which runs along the Welsh coast and these gentle giants are beautiful. They are a prime example of evolution at work: why else would they have that ridiculously large mouth? 


3. Clownfish

Photo from Wikipedia

Don't hate me, I was a kid during the naughties. I grew up watching Finding Nemo, it was one of our well loved DVDs which featured a Robbie Williams song at the height of the RW crush. Can you blame me?! So, by "clownfish" I do secretly mean the entire cast even down the weird little green fish which eats the angler fish at the end. Plus, they are so cute and colourful!


2. Humpback Whale

Photo from Dolphin Watch Cruises

Again, these epic creatures migrate in my waters. Ok, so northern Scotland but they are close enough. Closer than Iceland at any rate! They are just so beautiful and huge, yet can still pretty much fully breach the water. I am 5'6 and 77kg, and I cannot do that. Humpback whales grow up to 16m (52ft) and weigh up to 30,000kg (30 tonnes) and they can. Madness!

Also, fun fact, when Dylan was a toddler he used to call them "Buttcrack Whales".


Honourable Mentions
Manatee - They are real life mermaids!
Parrot fish - They eat rocks and poop sand. Who doesn't want to see that?

1. Mola Mola/Sun Fish

Photo from Sport Diver

Bet I threw you with that one. Everything about these fish looks "wrong", they do not look like fish. Yet here they are, with their wonky sideways body and sail-like fins, just sunning themselves and happy as Larry. They are everything I love about nature, in that it can follow these patterns but also just be completely bonkers. 


What fish would you like to see if/when you dive? Feel like I've missed a blinder? Lemme know below!



Listening to: This Is Zac Brown Band

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