For a small area, Holy Island can offer divers a wide choice of dive venues - fascinating shore dives and several shallow wreck sites within a mile of shore for those just starting. Experienced divers wanting more of a challenge can try the deeper wrecks further offshore.
There is also plenty of sea life – seals, lobsters, crabs and octopus plus the odd basking shark.
Porthdafarch Bay is a small cove, bordered on either side by high, rugged cliffs, and an ideal spot for novices to train and do their early open-water dives. Entry and exit are easy - you just walk down or up the beach. The depths are shallow, about 8m maximum, but there are plenty of rock crevices to explore. Kelp covers the rocks, while the centre of the bay is covered in sand.
Experienced divers can swim further out of the bay and explore a series of deeper gullies running up to the cliff face. Large shoals of pollack are often found gathered at the seaward end of the bay. During the summer months you could expect to come across bass and sand eels.
There are plenty of wrecks around Anglesey, due to many treacherous rocks, the prevailing wind conditions and some wrecks are a result of U boats during the wars. Around half a dozen are in shallow water and within easy striking distance of Holy Island - perfect for divers in the early stages of their training.
Half a mile off Porthdafarch lies the wreck of the Missouri, which sank in 1886. She was a three-masted steamship that went down while sailing from Boston to Liverpool carrying 400 cattle. The wreck was rediscovered lying at 14m in 1963. The maximum current is about half a knot, so it can be dived at almost any state of the tide. Although now substantially broken up, the bows remain 8ft proud of the sea bed and you will be able to see bollards, boilers and decking. Other easily accessible wrecks, at depths of between 12m and 18m, are Hermine, Havso, Primrose Hill and Kirkmichael.
For detailed information, air and courses contact Anglesey Divers.
For RIB Charter either per dive or per day by Aubrey Diggle - Tel. (01407) 740083, Mobile 0786 6014393.
Aubrey is licenced by the MCA to carry up to 8 persons per boat. He has extensive local knowledge of wrecks, reefs & tides. His boats are equipped with the latest electronics, oxygen and safety equipment.
Click the Link for more information.
|
|
|
