Location:Descriptive location referring to nearest landfall i.e. town, village, harbour or island
Belfast Lough
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’
Yes
Min. dive depth (m):The approximate minimum depth of the dive given in metres
Max. dive depth (m):The approximate maximum depth of the dive given in metres
16
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
16.4
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)
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
Yes
Visibility:Anecdotal description of the typical underwater visibility at the site
5-10 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
1 hour before high water Belfast
Getting there:Directions for getting to the site
By boat from Whitehead (Whiteharbour), Bangor or Groomsport. The wreck lies approx. 2km south-east of Whitehead in the middle of Belfast Lough.
Facilities:Details of nearest facilities to dive site i.e. public car parking and toilets, slipways etc
Free car parking and toilet facilities are available at Whitehead car park, above the Whiteharbour slipway. Whiteharbour is privately owned. For access call the Harbour Master: 028 9338 2549.
Groomsport has two slipway launching points and access to public toilets on Harbour road. Car parking is available adjacent to the harbour.
Free car parking is available above Bangor Marina and public toilets are available at South Pier. The slipway to the north of the car park is primarily a means of launching Bangor’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat and use is restricted to season ticket holders and Bangor Marina/harbour users. For more information, visit: http://www.quaymarinas.com/cookie-preferences-page/
Nearest tank filling is DV Diving, Mount Stewart, Newtownards.
Hazards:Anecdotal information on possible hazards at the site for divers and snorkellers
Munitions may still be present on board.
Description:A general description of the physical features of the dive site
The wreckage is mainly intact, except the bow which is collapsed. The wreck is sitting upright in an east-west direction.
History:The history of the wreck provided by the Senior Marine Archaeologist from the Department for Communities Historic Environment Division (only included for wreck sites)
Date of loss 23/04/1917. This Grimsby fishing trawler was hired by the Admiralty in 1914 and used as a patrol mine-sweeper (Admiralty No 592). She was lost after detonating a mine whilst sweeping. The wreck lies in a depth of c. 23m and sits in one piece upright on the seabed. The bow of the wreck is in bad condition. The identity of the wreck was confirmed by the finding of the ship’s bell by a diver in the 1970s. (Source: AWD).
AWD (Admiralty Wreck Data).
Information derived from Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI), Department for Communities, Historic Environment Division.
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 wreck is covered in plumose anemones Metridium dianthus, while juvenile fish can be seen swimming around the wreck. Many polychaete worms (including Diplocirrus glaucus) are found on the seabed, often amoungst brittlestars.
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’
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
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]’.
Bangor Harbour Master: 028 9145 3297. When navigating within the harbour/marina, use VHF Channel 11. Groomsport Harbour: 028 9188 2377
Whiteharbour (Whitehead): 028 93382549
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
Leave a Comment
Dived here recently? Then let other divers know about this site from your experience!