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White Cliffs West

Rathlin Island

Average score: 0

Weather Forecast Tide times Sea Temperature
Site name: White Cliffs West
Location: Descriptive location referring to nearest landfall i.e. town, village, harbour or island
Rathlin Island
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
Max. dive depth (m): The approximate maximum depth of the dive given in metres
30

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
50

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)
N/NE/E/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
Moderate

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
5-8 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
Getting There: Directions for getting to the site

By boat from Rathlin or Ballycastle. The site is approx. 100m east of Stroanlea Point

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

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)

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

  • Strong tidal currents, eddies and overfalls occur all around Rathlin Island
Description: A general description of the physical features of the dive site

This site is characterised by a gently sloping sediment plain of sand, pebbles and small boulders all along the base of the white cliffs.

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 boulder slope supports a diverse community of marine invertebrates. A dive survey in May 2019 reported 13 species of hydroid, 18 species of sponge, 17 species of sea squirt and 33 species of nudibranch (sea slugs), including the rare Carronella pellucida, which has only been recorded here once before in 2006. Divers also recorded a tusk shell (Scaphopoda) and the slender sea pen Virgularia mirabilis on the seabed. The goose foot starfish Anseropoda placenta and the hermit crab Cestopagurus timidus have been recorded from this site in the past. These, and many other species found at this site are rare and are included on the Northern Ireland Priority Species list.

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

Rathlin MCZ
Rathlin Island SAC
Rathlin Island SPA

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

Rathlin Dive Expedition 2019 Report

Rathlin Info

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.
  • Ballycastle/Rathlin Harbour Office No. 028 207 68525 Mobile Number 07803 505084
  • When navigating within Ballycastle or Rathlin Harbour, use VHF Channel 80.
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
55.291552, -6.247741
Open in Google Maps Convert coordinates to DDM/DMS
White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West White Cliffs West

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