By boat from Rathlin, or Ballycastle, Harbour. The site is ~100 metres NEE of Farganlack / ‘Lack’ Point (and approx. 50m NEE of Farganlack Point Gullies)
Rathlin Harbour has pontoons for around 40 boats. Water and electricity are available on the pontoon but there is no reliable source of fuel. Public toilets are available in Church Bay between the harbour and the pub, near the playground.
Ballycastle Harbour has a gated slipway (open during office hours) and pontoon berthing. Free car parking is available above the harbour and marina. Free public toilets are available in the visitor information office above the harbour.
Berthing fees apply for both Rathlin and Ballycastle Harbour Office; for use of either, contact the Ballycastle Harbour Office: 02820768525 / 07803505984.
Nearest tank filling is Aquaholics in Ballycastle or Portstewart (ring ahead: 028 7083 2584)
- Strong tidal currents, eddies and overfalls occur all around Rathlin Island
The pinnacle to the east of Farganlack Point, off the north-west wall of Rathlin is a north facing, vertical bedrock wall which slopes steeply from 8 metres to 163 metres, with many crevices and overhangs that support a diverse epifaunal community. A nice dive described down to ~25 metres.
The vertical wall of the pinnacle supports a rich epifaunal community with the dominant species described as Crisiidae spp. (Bryozoa), the Devonshire cup coral Caryophyllia smithii, dead man’s fingers Alcyonium digitatum, oaten pipes hydroid Tubularia indivisa and the sea squirt Aplidium punctum. Species of particular interest included the sponge Lissodendoryx jenjonesae, a Northern Ireland Priority Species (NIPS), which was first described from Rathlin in 2005 and is only known from here and the Maiden Islands. Two species of the sea squirt Pyura were recorded here by divers in 2019; P. microcosmus, another NIPS species, and P. squamulosa (Fig. 8), which has only been recorded once previously off Rathlin in 1984.
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 hereRathlin Dive Expedition 2019 Report
- 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.
- Ballycastle/Rathlin Harbour Office No. 028 207 68525 Mobile Number 07803 505084
- When navigating within Ballycastle or Rathlin Harbour, use VHF Channel 80.
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