Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in County Cork

The dive itself is shallow and the route we took being an average of 6 meters with two hours to go before high tide when we made our exit, there is a large amount of interest to be had for photographers using the natural light available especially in sunny conditions, the bay is inhabited by several types of tubeworm, decorator crab, sea squirts, hermit crabs are everywhere and we saw several dogfish and a thornback ray, plus if luck is on your side seals do make a frequent appearance. The site is good for photographers and all levels of divers with no hazards as far as we could see. Seal Harbour is a beautifully idyllic secluded bay which although does not have much depth has a lot going for it. It's not difficult to find being signposted off the main road about 4k from Glengarrif on the road to Castletownbere, having left the main road take the next turning right and a short distance down there you will see a small parking area shaded by an oak tree overlooking the stony beach, access to the shore is relatively easy by means of a short track onto the top of the rocks which are not difficult to traverse, the bay would be well sheltered in anything but a South/East through to South/West wind.

Alondra was a 2244 ton steamer that sank 29 december 1916 near Kedge Island. It's a very nice wreck with an abundance of marine life Kedge Island

The Illyrian was a 2967 ton steamer built in 1867. She sank in may 1884. It's an old and broken wreck. 1km East of South Harbour, on the E side of Clear Island. Illyrian wreck is also known as Lighthouse Wreck.

The U-260 is a 1070 ton VIIc-Class German Submarine. It sunk about four miles from Glandore village, 12 March 1945. Four miles from Glandore village, near Castletownshend.

dive starts off in shallow cave. descends to gully (12-20m) then wall to 30m. mixture of strata on bottom - starts off rocky, then kelpy in gully followed by mud at 30m. Walk from car park by pier along rough track to cave entrance (rocky shore). much easier to access at high tide. Smugglers Cave is also known as Cuas.

Fastnet Rock is a small clay-slate island with quartz veins and the most southerly point of Ireland, 6.5 km southwest of Cape Clear Island in County Cork, which is itself 13 km (8 miles) from the mainland. It lies in the Atlantic Ocean 11.3 km south of mainland County Cork, at latitude 51.37°N.[1] It rises to about 30 m above low water mark. Divided into Fastnet Rock proper and the much smaller Little Fastnet to the south by a 10 m (30 ft) wide channel, it also had the nickname 'Ireland's Teardrop' as it was the last part of the country seen by Irish emigrants to the United States in the 19th century as they sailed past it. The Fastnet Rock is used as the midpoint of one of the world's classic offshore yachting races, the Fastnet Race, a 979 km (608 mile) round trip from Cowes, UK round the rock and back to Plymouth. It is also used occasionally as a mark for yacht races from local sailing centres such as Schull and Baltimore. Source:Wikipedia.org Fastnet Rock is also known as Fastnet Rock Lighthouse.

http://www.irishwrecksonline.net/details/StephenWhitney704.htm

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SM UC-42 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 21 September 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 November 1916 as SM UC-42. UC-42 sailed on her last patrol on 1 September 1917. On 31 October 1917 Torpedo Boat TB 055 was accompanying minesweepers operating at the entrance to Cork harbour. At 1500 hours an oil track was seen floating on the surface of the water. Following it to its source, TB 055 used its hydrophone to see if the oil was coming from a submarine. Loud mechanical sounds, of "hammering" and "turbine-like noises" were reported and, believing this to be a U-boat, a marker buoy was dropped, followed shortly after by a depth charge. Following detonation of the charge, TB 055 returned to the area and found that the volume of floating oil had increased, and there were bubbles rising to the surface. TB 055 signalled the nearby armed minesweeper HMT Sarba for assistance. Sarba used her hydrophone but detected no sounds from the presumed submarine. A second depth charge was dropped and Sarba remained on station overnight. The following morning HMD Sunshine and TB 058 swept around the spot, to confirm that the incident had not been a false alarm caused by old wreckage. On 2 November oil was still coming to the surface and dockyard drivers arrived to inspect the assumed wreck. The divers reported a German U-boat lying on the seabed with her stern blown off, and a brass plate on her conning tower reading "C42, 1916" identified her as UC-42. No survivors were ever reported even though some of the hatches were found to have been opened. It was thought likely that the submarine had been sunk by one of her own mines detonating under her stern while minelaying. When the sinking and identification of the submarine was reported, the British Admiralty requested an identifiable item from the vessel for verification purposes, and in December 1917 divers recovered the telephone buoy from the conning tower. The Royal Navy's Naval Intelligence Department were aware of submarine's 1 September departure date from Belgium and were sceptical about the hammering and engine noises reported by TB 055. The Admiralty reported that "The longest known cruise of a UC boat in home waters is 24 days, so UC42 must have been dead long before TB 055 and Sarba dropped the depth charges" The wreck was relocated on 6 November 2010 in 27 metres (89 ft) of water, just off Roche's Point, by a group of Irish, amateur divers. It was found with "little obvious explosive damage". A serial number stamped on its propeller allowed positive identification of the wreck. A plaque was placed by the boats stern and under International Maritime Law she is now a War Grave, untouchable and the responsibility of the Deutsche Marine. Source: wikipedia.org Out of Cork Harbour via Cork or Crosshaven.

This site is suitable for all levels of diver and can deliver some surprises in what can be seen insomuch as just about anything that can be found in Kenmare River will be likely to turn up here every so often and that includes dolphin, seals, cuttlefish and conger. We have done several dives here and there are no hazards as far as we could see. Although this site is close to land it is best reached by boat, we left from Kilmakilloge Harbour and the journey took us approximately 15 minutes the entry point is on the top of a kelp covered reef and heading South leads down to a sandy area where turning to the East you follow the reef on your left to a depth of 16+ meters, heading North after entry can achieve a dive of 30 + meters.

The Kowloon Bridge was a 169,000 ton bulk carrier that sunk in november 1986. One of the biggest wreck of Europe (300 meters long) ! Stag Rocks. Approx 7 nautical miles from Baltimore.

http://www.irishwrecksonline.net/details/Malmanger618a.htm

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