Flat Rock (Lead Stone)

The intrepid spearo/snorkeller amongst you may attempt this as a shore dive, but for me the local currents around the rock really do call for the safety and mobility given by a boat or kayak. Flat Rock, or Lead Stone as it is also known, lies about 200m due east of Hopes Nose, the northern headland that defines Torbay. It is a continuation of the limestone rock that forms Hopes Nose and on one side has a gently sloping profile, where as the other is sheer rock face. This is a varied site and in the right conditions gives the photographer/nature spotter a wealth of life to look at.

If you take a look at the chart in the gallery, you will not be surprised that this rock is swept by quite strong currents most of the time. I'm not sure how long slack lasts, and the currents can be quite changeable and actually go against the flow of the tide! Slack water around here is meant to be 2 hours before high water, but having been there then, even on a neap tide, I can tell you that there was still some movement in the water. Personally speaking it's never really a problem for the freediver/snorkeller, but with all that scuba kit on divers may find this problematical - for scuba, boat cover & SMBs are essential. That said, on any state of the tide, the sheer side of the rock always provides a sheltered spot large enough, and with enough nooks and crannies, to keep the observant diver more than happy for a decent dip.

I'll start off with the shallower side of the rock, which is the South West facing edge. This area offers some protection from the tidal flow but not as much as the other side of the rock, and as you'd expect the further out from the shelter of the island the more the current will pick up. On a calm day you will see the water-flow on the surface so you can plan your dive accordingly. Dropping in anywhere along this shallow part will see you landing on a bed of sand and old mussel shells.

In a maximum of 8m the few scattered boulders are all covered in thick kelp. Do not despair though, as looking carefully in the sea-bed will soon reveal clusters of Dahlia Anemone (in fact this is quite a high-density population by Torbay standards) and underneath the kelp the usual encrusting sponges and Dead Men's Fingers. Swimming away from the rock (to a maximum depth of about 12m) will take you over a shallow but fairly productive Scallop/Plaice bed which is quite a nice 'muck dive' for those into their macro, muddy, sea life.

The two tips of the rock (the North-West and South-East corners), are those swept by the most fierce currents and both covered in kelp at a fairly shallow depth. These are the transition zones from the shallow sea-bed to the sheer-face of the North Eastern edge of the rock. The most interesting tip is the inner one where a large shoal of Pollack hang around in the current picking food out of the water. I have also seen large Red Mullet here too.

For me the most amazing part of Flat Rock is what's hidden beneath the surface on the North Eastern 'sheer' side of the island. Here the rock forms a vertical wall of limestone which for the first 6m or so has a Kelp and green algae covering, but that quickly gives way to the bare rock face underneath. The rock here has been completely covered in sponges, anemones and sea-squirts of all shapes, sizes and colours. Dead Men's Fingers, Elegant Anemone's, Plumose Anemones and Jewel Anemone are the most obvious and abundant, but there are also colonies of colonial anemones and encrusting sponges and ascidians.

The sheer rock face gives way to some quite large overhangs and a narrow bolder field of large boulders up to 10-feet across. These are home to juvenile fish such as Bib, and many Tompot Blennies are also skittering around the place. Both Edible and Spiny Spider crabs can be found under the rocks, and for those who are here breath-holding, Bass will often cruise these waters while out hunting.

The narrow bolder field at about 13m gives way to a flat, layered rock strata that gradually gets deeper the further away from the rock you get. Here large Boring Sponge are abundant and you start to see Common Starfish and the odd Scallop in the sand/mud that has settled in the more sheltered parts.

This really is a fascinating site so long as you approach it with careful planning and competent surface cover. It is occasionally potted by crabbers so watch out for them, and an SMB is essential, more for your boat-handler to know that you are not being swept away than for safety from boat traffic.

I'm planning on doing a more comprehensive survey of the life here, especially in a particular spot that, for now, I'll keep my little secret ;-)

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