News
Scuba diving octogenarian to mark 82nd birthday diving in Indonesia
An octogenarian who learned to dive after she retired is to celebrate her 82nd birthday with an underwater adventure in Indonesia.
Grandmother Anna Illingworth refuses to let her age get in the way of her loving diving after taking up the sport with the BSAC as a sprightly 68-year-old.
Now approaching her fifteenth year as qualified BSAC Ocean Diver, globetrotting Anna is among 33 active members of BSAC’s Thistle Divers club which trains weekly in in Kilsyth, near Glasgow.
She has travelled all over the world, including trips to the Maldives where she dived with Manta rays, Kenya, Cyprus, Lanzarote, The Bahamas, Cape Verde, The Seychelles where she snorkelled with whale sharks, Bali, and Gozo. She’s also dived in the Mediterranean, Egypt, the Canaries, and the Caribbean.
Anna will turn 82 in May, and will shortly be jetting off on her latest adventure with her son to Indonesia.
Anna said: “I have had some incredible experiences diving around the world. I think my most memorable was in The Maldives. I went diving with manta rays; we weren’t very deep and had around 20 manta rays feeding around us.
“Then I looked up and saw two huge whale sharks above us at the surface. I think that had to be my most memorable and unforgettable experience. It was absolutely amazing.”
Anna says she joined Thistle Divers after getting bored with swimming lengths at her local Kirkintilloch pool following the death of her husband.
She said: “I’d heard about the scuba club based there and thought I’d give it a try. I began with snorkelling and worked my way up to becoming a snorkel instructor. I taught snorkelling for a while to young people and then thought I’d take the plunge and learn to dive.
“I trained as a BSAC Ocean Diver, although it was called club diver then, I never wanted to go any higher as I just wanted to dive in warm water whenever I could go on a trip. I love to see natural history, the fish and corals. I’m not so keen on wreck diving or going to any great depth, there is no need as I can see all I want to at quite shallow depths.”
BSAC Chief Executive Officer Mary Tetley says she is delighted to hear Anna Illingworth is still enjoying diving as an octogenarian.
She said: “Anna is a remarkable lady and I’m so pleased to hear she is still enjoying diving as she shortly goes into her 83rd year. Anna is an example to us all and shows that age isn’t and never should be a barrier to doing something you enjoy.”
To find out more about Thistle Divers please visit www.thistledivers.co.uk.
Source: www.bsac.com
Gear News
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Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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