Ireland
Ireland · North Atlantic
Ireland's Atlantic coastline delivers surprisingly rich cold-water diving, from Europe's first marine nature reserve at Lough Hyne to basking shark corridors off Rathlin Island and dramatic sea cave systems carved into the Carboniferous limestone of County Clare.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is fairly quiet.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
25 species across the dive sites here
European Robin
Seen 20 days ago
at Lough Hyne
Least concern
Northern Fulmar
Seen 27 days ago
at Rathlin Island
Least concern
Black-Legged Kittiwake
Seen 27 days ago
at Rathlin Island
Vulnerable
Rock Pipit
Seen 28 days ago
at Kilkee Sea Caves
Least concern
European Stonechat
Seen 1 month ago
at Lough Hyne
Edible Crab
Seen 1 month ago
at Rathlin Island
Atlantic Beadlet Anemone
Seen 1 month ago
at Fair Head
Common Eider
Seen 1 month ago
at Rathlin Island
Near threatened
Razorbill
Seen 1 month ago
at Rathlin Island
Least concern
Hooded Crow
Seen 1 month ago
at Lough Hyne
Atlantic Grey Seal
Seen 2 months ago
at Rathlin Island
Least concern
Dead Man's Fingers
Seen 2 months ago
at Fair Head
Plumose Anemone
Seen 2 months ago
at Fair Head
Spiny Starfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Lough Hyne
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Seen 6 months ago
at Kilkee Sea Caves
Near threatened
Pollock
Seen 8 months ago
at Kilkee Sea Caves
Least concern
Corkwing Wrasse
Seen Jun 2025
at Lough Hyne
Least concern
Sea Lemon Nudibranch
Seen Mar 2025
at Kilkee Sea Caves
Purple Sea Urchin
Seen Sep 2024
at Lough Hyne
Velvet Swimming Crab
Seen Jul 2024
at Kilkee Sea Caves
Harbour Porpoise
Seen Mar 2024
at Fair Head
Least concern
Basking Shark
Seen Jan 2024
at Rathlin Island
Endangered
Crawfish (Spiny Lobster)
Seen year round
at Lough Hyne
Vulnerable
Common Octopus
Seasonal visitor
at Kilkee Sea Caves
Least concern
Ocean Sunfish
Seasonal visitor
at Rathlin Island
Vulnerable
Dive sites
Lough Hyne
spiny starfish · purple sea urchin · crawfish (spiny lobster) · corkwing wrasse
Rathlin Island
basking shark · ocean sunfish · edible crab · atlantic grey seal
Kilkee Sea Caves
velvet swimming crab · common octopus · pollock · sea lemon nudibranch
Fair Head
plumose anemone · dead man's fingers · harbour porpoise · northern fulmar