Out in the waters, the receding tide exposed a large expense of broken and crumpled metal - warming in the sun - which the local seal, sea lion, otter and selkie population quickly began taking advantage of, basking both in the newly shallow waters around the huge new shoal and on the sunwarmed expanse of metal itself.

A few spots steamed gently still - and a very few spots still spat the occasional spark of short-cicuiting energies - which the sea mammels all steered quite clear of.