10/08/2026
Blackwater SAC travels West
There are few better ways to begin a diving weekend than with a convoy of vehicles loaded with kit, ribs and eager divers, heading west towards the Kerry coast. For a group of members from Blackwater SAC, the journey from Fermoy to Castlecove was very much part of the adventure.
As the miles passed, the landscape gradually changed. The familiar roads of home gave way to the sweeping green hills and rugged countryside of West Cork and Kerry. The road wound its way through a landscape shaped by mountains, stone walls, forests and open countryside, with every bend revealing another glimpse of the scenery. At times, the road seemed to disappear into the hills before emerging again to reveal a wider vista, while further on, the coastline began to make its presence felt.
The rugged slopes of the mountains provided a dramatic backdrop as we continued west. Winding country roads carried us through some of the most picturesque scenery Ireland has to offer, and as we hugged the coast in places, glimpses of the Atlantic appeared between the hills. It was the perfect setting for a weekend that promised adventure both above and below the surface.
The Castlecove trip was about much more than simply getting into the water. For many members, it was an opportunity to continue their diving journey and develop their skills in open water conditions.
With a large group travelling together and the club's RIBs on hand, the weekend offered something for everyone. Club divers could enjoy some spectacular scenic diving, while those undertaking training had the opportunity to put their skills into practice in a different environment.
For the coxswains, the weekend provided valuable experience too. Operating a RIB, navigating to dive sites and managing the boat and divers safely are skills that become increasingly important as club members progress. Time spent on the water, gaining confidence and experience in different conditions, is an essential part of that development.
For the one-star divers, meanwhile, the weekend represented another step forward in their own diving journeys. Training in a beautiful coastal environment, surrounded by other club members, gave them the chance to build confidence, develop their skills and experience the rewards that come with progressing as a diver.
And then, of course, there was the diving itself. The water visibility over the weekend was excellent, opening up the underwater landscape and allowing everyone to fully appreciate the scenery beneath the waves. Rocky outcrops, gullies and underwater formations appeared clearly in the blue-green water, creating the perfect conditions for exploring the Kerry coastline.
But as spectacular as the underwater scenery was, it was the wildlife encounters that really elevated the weekend.
At various points, divers and snorkelers were treated to encounters with seals. Seeing a seal from the surface is always special, but encountering one underwater is an entirely different experience. As divers descended, the seals moved effortlessly through the water around them. They seemed curious but completely untroubled by our presence, passing through the divers' field of view before disappearing into the blue, only to return again moments later. Their movement underwater was mesmerising. With powerful strokes and graceful twists, they seemed to fly rather than swim, changing direction almost effortlessly and moving with a freedom and agility that made our own movements seem remarkably cumbersome by comparison.
For those fortunate enough to witness it, the encounter felt less like observing wildlife and more like being invited, briefly, into their world. There was something wonderfully humbling about watching such a magnificent animal move through its natural environment. The seals appeared completely at ease, curious about these slow-moving visitors in their underwater world, and for a few unforgettable moments they put on an acrobatic and graceful underwater display for us to simply watch and relish.
Another highlight came during a dive into the environs of a shallow cave, where the excellent visibility revealed something rather unexpected: a large shoal of triggerfish.
Triggerfish are instantly recognisable once you know what you are looking for. The triggerfish is laterally flattened, with a somewhat angular body, a small, fleshy, beak-like mouth and a distinctive dorsal spine that can be locked upright. Their colouring can range, which in turn helps them blend surprisingly well with their rocky surroundings.
The fish we encountered appeared to be keeping their distance as the divers approached and moving away whenever we got too close. That behaviour certainly added to the challenge of trying to get a good look at them. Rather than allowing us to approach easily, the shoal seemed to shift and scatter before regrouping, giving us fleeting glimpses as individual fish moved through the water. Watching a large shoal of unfamiliar fish moving around the cave was a fantastic experience in itself. But there was also something particularly special about knowing just how unusual it is to encounter triggerfish during an Irish dive. Triggerfish are much more familiar in warmer waters, particularly around the Mediterranean. For a group of divers exploring a shallow Kerry cave, finding a sizeable shoal was therefore a wonderful reminder that you never quite know what you are going to encounter beneath the surface.
A dive can begin as a training exercise, a chance to complete a particular skill or simply an opportunity to explore somewhere new. Yet once underwater, the plans can quickly become secondary to what the sea decides to show you.
For the one-star divers, the weekend was another important milestone in their progression. For those undertaking coxswain training, it was another opportunity to build experience and confidence. For other club divers, it was a chance to enjoy some of the spectacular scenery and marine life that make Irish diving so rewarding.
And for everyone involved, there was the shared experience of travelling together, launching the RIBs, preparing for dives, swapping stories afterwards and enjoying the camaraderie that makes club diving so enjoyable.
The Kerry coast provided the perfect backdrop. Above the surface were the green hills, rugged mountains, winding roads and spectacular Atlantic scenery. Below it was a completely different world of rocky reefs, caves, shoals of fish and curious seals. As the weekend came to an end and we began the journey home, there was plenty to reflect on. New skills had been developed, training milestones had been reached, confidence had grown and, most importantly, memories had been made. The road back to Fermoy may have taken us away from Castlecove, but it was difficult not to look back on the weekend with a sense of satisfaction. For Blackwater SAC, it had been a weekend that captured so much of what makes diving special: adventure, progression, exploration, wildlife and friendship, all experienced together on one spectacular stretch of the Kerry coast. A huge thanks to Timmy for organising this trip.
Images:
Enjoying Castlecove weekend trip, back; Gearoid, Aoife, Theresa, Finbarr,
Front: Lorna, Ken, Louise, Timmy, Rosie
Happy divers Aoife Roche, Louise Feeney, Pat Hurley and Joanna Davern (photo; Aoife Roche)
Theresa Carey, Joanna Davern, Louise Feeney and Aoife Roche all smiles after a great weekend of diving in Kerry (photo; Aoife Roche)
Blackwater divers Paul O Dwyer and Judith O Brien (photo; Lorna O Dwyer)
Blackwater SAC Snorkeler and trainee cox'n for the weekend Rosie with diver Peter Whelan (photo; Lorna O Dwyer)
Judith O Brien, Finbarr Mulcahy and Gearoid O Looney checking out the dive sites of Castlecove (photo; Lorna O Dwyer)
