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Dive Sites around Lundy

Lundy Diving Information 1998 Season

The following is a guide to diving the rich, clear waters around Lundy. Please ensure that all members of diving groups planning a visit to dive around the island are familiar with this information.

1. Hen & Chickens
Spectacular clean current-swept granite scenery. Best to dive in calm weather at low water slack on neap tides when the rocks just break the surface. There is a steep drop-off west and north.

2. North coast
Dive about 100m offshore for sandy rock scenery.

3. Seal's Rock
Dive adjacent to the rock on the south-east side for the steepest drop-off. There is wreckage of an unknown vessel (Heroine?) on the rock platform on the north-east side.

4. Between Seal's Rock and Gannet's Rock.
Seems to be much the same seabed all along here with a fairly steep boulder slope with some bedrock adjacent to the shore leading to a plain of cobbles and boulders at about 35m bcd.

5. Gannet's Rock
The broken vertical/overhanging surfaces of the Rock continue underwater to about 15m bcd where coarse sand is present. This can be followed to the cliffs of Gannet's Rock Pinnacle.

6. Gannet's Bay
The north side is a boulder tumble extending to a mud plain at about 14m bcd. The large boulders form caves studded with corals. Wrasse are particularly abundant here.

Between Gannet's Bay and Brazen Ward. A bedrock and boulder slope adjacent to the shore leading to a muddy plain but with rock outcrops at about 20m bcd as Brazen Ward is approached.

7. Brazen Ward
Dive about 50m offshore of Frenchmen's Landing (the north side) and continue east for cliffs and rock slopes (similar topography to the intertidal area).

8. Knoll Pins
For a fairly long dive, a descent to the south or north sides and a swim around to the east at about 18m is best. The rock slope extends to 30m bcd off the east of the Outer Pin. Many dives are spoilt by divers being swept off-site whilst getting organised at the surface etc and landing on the muddy gravel at 30m. So, drop in close to the rocks and be quick if there is any current.

9. Wrecks of the 'Robert' and 'Iona'
These two wrecks lie very close together about 1km east of Tibbett's Point. The 'Robert' is a largely intact small coaster lying on it's starboard side on the sediment seabed at 21m bcd. The remains of the 'Iona' lie about 50m west of the 'Robert'. NOTE that a licence is needed to visit this "protected wreck".

10. Gull Rock
Broken granite scenery but silty rock mainly dominated by algae. Dive about 50m offshore of the Rock and swim east for cliffs leading to muddy gravel at about 16m bcd. NOTE there is a "protected wreck" here and a licence is needed to dive.

11. Halfway Wall Bay/Quarry Bay area
This is a useful area to dive when winds or tidal currents prevent access to other sites, or when a short trip to a site near the landing bay is required. The shore is fringed by boulders which extend to a mud plain but with some rock outcrops off the bay where the Kaaksberg was wrecked. Dive about 80m offshore.

12. Landing Bay area
Shallow but interesting fringing rocks leading to sand. Take care near the rock off Rat Island as tidal currents accelerate rapidly here.

13. North East of Rat Island
50 to 100m offshore here, there is a level seabed at about 12m bcd of slates with rock outcrops. For most of the tidal cycle the rocks are swept by fairly strong currents.

14. North of Surf Point
The seabed near to the shore off surf point is of rock outcrops in sand. The wreck of the 'Carmine Filomena' lies below surf point here and is mainly a pile of plates with some ribs and overhanging surfaces.

15. Surf Point Gullies
The network of shallow gullies around surf point is fascinating to explore. The gullies open out below sea level so their narrow appearance at low water is deceptive. Seals here, so don't be surprised if you get your fins nipped!

16. South East Coast
The bedrock has broken up to form a great expanse of tide swept slates colonised by beds of brittle stars and with some rock outcrops extending to depths in excess of about 35m bcd, 300m offshore.

17. South coast
There is an extensive boulder plain covered by dense kelp inshore of Lee Rocks. Seaward of Lee Rocks is a steep and very broken rock slope leading to the plain of slates at about 35m bcd. Near to the base of this slope is the wreck of the 'Earl of Jersey'.

18. Rattles Anchorage
Rock outcrops among patches of course sand and at a depth of about 20m bcd.

19. Offshore of Black Rock
South of Black Rock, the seabed slopes fairly gradually to deep water. The wreck of the 'Atlas' is present here, mainly a massive boiler and prop shaft with some plates. South west of Black Rock, there are Spectacular slate cliffs and pinnacles descending to 35m+.

20. Montague Bay
The wreck of 'HMS Montague' lies here amongst broken, kelp covered rocks. The majority of the wreck is massive thick armour plates, but with some superstructure still intact.

21. West Coast, South of Jenny's Cove
Gradually sloping broken granite bedrock with gullies, silty in places.

22. West Coast, North of Jenny's Cove
More rugged granite bedrock with gullies, canyons and cliffs which are particularly well developed off the northern side of Jenny's Cove.

23. Devil's Slide
The canyons, cliffs and gullies continue towards the North and St Peter's Stone.

24. Long Roost
Broken granite bedrock amongst clean sand with some vertical surfaces of around 20m bcd.

Marine Life

Lundy has an unusually varied marine wildlife due not only to the variety of habitats available, but also to the lack of pollution due to the islands remotness from the mainland. The island also enjoys the cooler, clearer Atlantic Ocean waters as well as the warmer, more turbid Bristol Channel waters.

The Island is clearly divided into the storm swept west side, and the more sheltered east side.

Shoreline

The coastal life on the west side is dominated by plants and animals capable of surviving the constant pounding of the Atlantic swell. Barnacles and limpets dominate the tide line with a few resilient seaweeds. The shoreline of the east coast is dominated by a greater variety of plants and animals with brown weeds such as bladder and knotted wrack. Smaller red seaweeds are nearer the low water mark. The weeds provide cover for periwinkles, beadlet anemones and small crustaceans. The protection afforded by the broken slate on the south east corner (Devils Kitchen) offers the greatest variety of intertidal life. Here can be found the pink, cement like, lithothamnion, and the branching corallina. Rock pools will hold shore fish such as blennies and gobies. Snakelocks anemones can also be found.

Sublittoral

The spectacular coastline of the island is continued underwater.