Sea Lochs of Scotland

Photo: Paul Kay

All sorts of factors have gone into their creation and the result is an undersea environment that attracts numerous marine creatures, some common, others very unusual and only there because of the relatively deep, still water.

What is so special about the sea lochs is that they contain diverse sea beds within quite small areas, and these in turn contain a large diversity of marine life. There are, of course, the rocky reefs beloved by so many divers, but also worth a look are the sandy and even muddy areas. These are home to some fascinating little animals – if you don’t ever visit them, you are missing out on seeing some fabulous creatures.

Of these, some are familiar, while others are rarely seen. On soft sand, I’ve seen prettily coloured Fries’ gobies (which live in burrows with scampi) and gawky mudrunner crabs. Pebbly areas reveal bizarre small-headed clingfish, while on bedrock areas you can find anemones, starfish, and innumerable brittlestars!