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Garron Point Maerl

Carnlough

Average score: 0

Weather Forecast Tide times Sea Temperature
Site name: Garron Point Maerl
Location: Descriptive location referring to nearest landfall i.e. town, village, harbour or island
Carnlough
Type: Describes whether this dive site can be dived from the shore, from a boat, or both
Boat
Wreck: Dive sites which include a shipwreck (or part of a shipwreck) are labelled with a ‘Yes’
No
Min. dive depth (m): The approximate minimum depth of the dive given in metres
3
Max. dive depth (m): The approximate maximum depth of the dive given in metres
20

Max. seabed depth (m): The maximum depth of the seabed at the site taken from the intersect between the dive site point and the depth contour on an Admiralty Standard Nautical Chart
20

Diving experience (min level): The recommended minimum level of diving experience for a specific site, described as Novice (<50 dives in temperate/cold waters and minimum certification of PADI Open/Advanced Open Water, BSAC Ocean Diver or CMAS 1 star), Intermediate (50-100 dives in temperate/cold waters and minimum certification of PADI Rescue Dive, BSAC Sports Dive or CMAS 2 star) or Advanced (>250 dives in temperate/cold waters and minimum certification of PADI Divemaster, BSAC Dive Leader or CMAS 3 star
Intermediate

Optimal wind direction: The general wind direction which causes minimal exposure at the site, corresponding to 8 points of the compass: North (N), North East (NE), East (E, South East (SE), South (S), South West (SW), West, North West (NW)
SW/W/NW

Exposure: The approximate level of exposure to wind and wave action at the site on any given day, described as Sheltered (inshore sites surrounded by a form of shelter on all sides), Moderate (sites which are partially sheltered) or Exposed (sites with little to no shelter)
Exposed

Tidal strength: Anecdotal description of tidal strength at the site

Marine Protected Area: A Yes or No highlighting whether or not the site occurs within a Marine Protected Area
No

Visibility: Anecdotal description of the typical underwater visibility at the site
On average 4-7m, but on occassion it can be as high as 15 metres.
Best time to dive: Anecdotal recommendation for the best time to dive the site for optimal underwater conditions. This typically relates to the stage of the tide
Anytime
Getting There: Directions for getting to the site

By boat from Carnlough or Cushendall. The site is approximately 4km due south of Garron Point.

Facilities: Details of nearest facilities to dive site i.e. public car parking and toilets, slipways etc

Carnlough Harbour has a slipway for small craft, and toilets are available beside the car park on Herbert Street.

Free car parking and public toilets are available at Cushendall caravan park / Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club. There is a slipway, but priority is given to the RNLI and berthing is not allowed. For use contact Cushendall/Ballycastle Harbour Office: 02820768525 / 07803505084.

Nearest tank filling is Aquaholics, Portstewart/Ballycastle (call in advance: 028 7083 2584)

Hazards: Anecdotal information on possible hazards at the site for divers and snorkellers

  • Tidal swells
Description: A general description of the physical features of the dive site

Flat sandy seabed, occasionally grooved, with patches of cobbles and pebbles, overlain with patches of maerl and often brittlestars.

Biodiversity: A description of the species composition at the site. Species of interest are highlighted. Follow the links for more information about the species on the NBN Atlas Northern Ireland website

The seabed here is very colourful due to the presence of a patchy maerl bed, often covered in brittlestars. Maerl is a coralline algae that forms reefs which support a diversity of marine life. For this reason, maerl beds are listed as a priority marine habitat in Northern Ireland waters. A diversity of crustaceans, sea squirts, sea urchins are found at the site.

View all species records from this site

A link to the dive site location on the NBN Atlas Northern Ireland website, showing all species records from within a 1km boundary of the site centroid. Any new species records from the site submitted to Seasearch, iRecord, CEDaR Online Recording or iNaturalist will appear here
Local Charters: A link to the website for the nearest Dive Centre to the site. A map of all dive centres is provided under ‘Go Diving’

Aquaholics

Environmental and Historical Designations: A list of any environmental or historical designations attributed to the site, or overlapping it. Follow the link for more information

More Information: Links to additional information found online for the dive site

Northern Ireland Marine MapViewer

Safety: Safety tips

  • In an emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.
  • Follow VHF radio Channel 16 (156.8 MHz), the international distress frequency. Send a distress alert followed by ‘MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY’ and ‘This is [boat name]’.
  • Find nearest defibrillator (AED) here
  • Carnlough Harbour Office: 028 9336 6666
  • Cushendall Harbour Office: 02820768525
Latitude, Longitude: The approximate XY coordinates for the dive site in Decimel Degrees (DD). These can be converted to DMS or DDM by following the link below
55.027012, -5.962457
Open in Google Maps Convert coordinates to DDM/DMS
Garron Point Maerl Garron Point Maerl Garron Point Maerl

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