Site name:
Marlfield Bay
Location:
Descriptive location referring to nearest landfall i.e. town, village, harbour or island
Strangford Lough Type:
Describes whether this dive site can be dived from the shore, from a boat, or both
Shore 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
1 Max. dive depth (m):
The approximate maximum depth of the dive given in metres
6
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
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
Novice
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)
E/SE
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)
Moderate
Tidal strength:
Anecdotal description of tidal strength at the site
Strong
Marine Protected Area:
A Yes or No highlighting whether or not the site occurs within a Marine Protected Area
Yes
Visibility:
Anecdotal description of the typical underwater visibility at the site
Middling 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
HW for ease of access (long surface swim required at LW in order to get to 5metres depth) Getting There:
Directions for getting to the site
Park on the lay-by on Lough Shore Road (opposite entrance to a large field) at 54.405121, -5.577516 and access the site from here on foot (~25 metres).
Facilities:
Details of nearest facilities to dive site i.e. public car parking and toilets, slipways etc
Parking available on the Lough Shore Road lay-by at 54.405121, -5.577516. The nearest public toilets (and facilities) are close to Castle Park in Portaferry, a 10 minute drive heading south along Shore Road.
Nearest tank filling: DV Diving, Mount Stewart, Newtownards
Hazards:
Anecdotal information on possible hazards at the site for divers and snorkellers
- Strong tidal currents can make this a drift dive.
Description:
A general description of the physical features of the dive site
A flat sandy seabed with some rocks and scattered wreckage. Can be a drift dive depending on tidal flow.
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 odd shoal of fish and occasional brittlestars but otherwise fairly barren apart from some rocky outcrops covered with sponges and dead man’s fingers.
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 hereLocal 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’
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
Strangford Lough MCZ
Strangford Lough SAC
Strangford Lough Part 2 ASSI
Strangford Lough SPA
Strangford Lough RAMSAR
More Information:
Links to additional information found online for the dive site
Strangford Lough Regulation of Anchoring, Mooring and Diving Byelaws 2012
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.
- Find nearest defibrillator (AED) here
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
54.405329, -5.577837 
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