Ruby Studios in Penzance: Prussia Cove

Our week in West Cornwall was spontaneous and magical. It asked a bit more of us and gave more in return: steep cliff paths led to remote shore diving entry points, random conversations led to new friends with dive boats, and old friends invited us to join their dive club’s BBQ on the beach.

Our first dive – Prussia Cove, one of the best shore dives in the UK – was hard won. After lugging our gear down a steep cliff, we collapsed onto the gravel beach and ate most of our lunch to recover. Heading straight out to sea, we found corkwing wrasse nesting on an underwater island. Turning left, swimming through archways, under overhanging rocks, and into gullies, we found walls encrusted with sparkling jewel anemones and light bulb squirts. Cuttlefish danced in the bootlace weed. A juvenile Thornback Ray moved gracefully across the sand. When we got back to shore, our boisterous spaniel, high on an eight-hour beach day, played swim-fetch for the camera. He was, however, no use at all when it came to carrying all our gear back up the steep cliff. We recommend taking a donkey to dive Prussia Cove, not a spaniel.

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Images by Andy, words by Jackie.