A school of juvenile perch in the evening sunlight in 't Veenmeer, the Netherlands.

Probably my favourite time to dive ‘t Veenmeer is late summer. At this time large numbers of juvenile perch Perca fluviatilis form schools, and to swim along them in the evening sunlight, hearing only the sound of your own breathing, is the most peaceful and relaxing experience.

‘t Veenmeer (which translates to something like ‘The Bog Lake’) was once a boggy area that has been harvested for peat or dredged for sand—possibly both, but I can’t find a reliable source—giving way to a lake 100 meters wide, 300 meters long, and seventeen meters deep. Today it’s one of the most beautiful freshwater lakes in the Netherlands, and it has grown quite popular with divers.

The water’s edge is covered with reed and overhanging tree branches, and below the surface grow large patches of hornwort. The water is teeming with life and if you know where to look you can find anything from freshwater sponges, Hydra, and diving bell spiders to crayfish, tench, and northern pike.^[1]

When I dove here last April, the perch in the photos above still looked like this!

A ribbon of perch eggs. 't Veenmeer, the Netherlands.

These ribbons of perch eggs can be up to a meter in length and contain as much as 200,000 eggs. They’re left completely exposed, but apparently other animals don’t find them very tasty, allowing them to develop into these beautiful aggregations.

1. Some divers appear to be unaware of any of the above, and have resorted to making the lake more ‘interesting’ by sinking toilet pots, caravans, road signs, and the like. I’ve never quite understood this.