Strangford, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough is a large sea inlet on the County Down coast of Northern Ireland, designated a Marine Conservation Zone for its exceptional biodiversity and strong tidal regime. The Narrows at the mouth of the lough, where over 350 million cubic metres of water flow through with each tide, create one of the most dramatic drift dive sites in the British Isles, with currents reaching up to 8 knots at peak flow. Sites include The Routen Wheel, Rue Point, Audley's Roads and the wreck of the Empire Tana. The rocky walls and pinnacles are densely covered with horse mussels, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones, sponges, hydroids, sea squirts and feather stars. The lough is famous for its rare sea pen colonies, common skate, harbour seals, common terns and brittle star beds. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, conger eels, lumpsuckers and lobsters. Visibility is typically 4 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 8 and 16 degrees Celsius. Dives are run only at slack water from Portaferry charter boats and demand experienced drift divers in drysuits.