Lough Hyne
Ireland · Ireland
Lough Hyne is a landlocked sea lake connected to the Atlantic by a narrow tidal rapids, designated Europe's first marine nature reserve in 1981. The enclosed basin traps warmer, saltine-stratified water and fosters extraordinary species density — sponge gardens, rare sea fans, and populations of species found nowhere else on Ireland's coast. Visibility regularly reaches 10 metres in the calm upper lake and the gentle tidal exchange through the rapids creates a natural drift dive experience that concentrates plankton feeders.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 24 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
8 to 14 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
7 to 18°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Spiny Starfish
Last confirmed May 8, 2026 · 9 records
Very likely
Most dives
European Stonechat
Last confirmed Jun 21, 2026 · 25 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Hooded Crow
Last confirmed May 31, 2026 · 23 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
European Robin
Last confirmed Jul 8, 2026 · 18 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Purple Sea Urchin
Last confirmed Sep 28, 2024 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Corkwing Wrasse
Last confirmed Jun 5, 2025 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Crawfish (Spiny Lobster)
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear