Welcome to the second Site in Focus, as we move on from a wreck site to one that is no less exciting.
This month’s focus is another site that is beginner friendly at a max of 7m in depth, Orlock Point. This site sits just round the coast from Groomsport, at the northern corner of the Outer Ards Peninsula. There is a National Trust owned walk surrounding the point, and so it has a handy car park nearby. The coast here is renowned for its rich history and diversity, not to mention some pretty stunning views!
This theme follows through into the underwater world. A richly biodiverse site, Orlock Point is full of life and can boast excellent visibility in good conditions. The bottom is very silty, and so visibility quickly goes down as divers swim through. Best to be there early – as they say, the early seabird catches the ragworm!
While Orlock point is suitable for beginners, there are a few safety warnings to keep in mind. There are strong currents in the channel between the mainland and the Copeland Islands, so care must be taken when planning your route around the dive site. It is best to dive this site with someone experienced, preferably someone who knows the area. Stay aware of the tide as well, it can have some surge further from the shore.
In addition, the trek to the beach from the car park is at least 200m, and the beach itself is a stony one covered in slippery boulders.
One of the interesting geological features of the site at Orlock is a swim through rock formation that hosts an amazing variety of marine life. This is another reason to plan your dive with an experienced buddy; the entrance to this swim through is a hard one to find at the best of times. Once you know the way, provided you are not claustrophobic, you can enjoy a multitude of sea squirts, anemones and crustaceans in the glimmer of light that makes it through to the chamber, and once you are ready to head out to more open waters, swim through the vertical chimney exit to find yourself in a bed of kelp.
So, head to Orlock point for a glimpse of some impressive biodiversity and geology, and a fun dive. If you have been to Orlock recently or are planning on going soon, let us know! We would be delighted to hear about your dive.
And so, with the beginning of another month, the end of summer approaches. Getting out diving may be a little harder and a fair bit chillier over the next few months, but that won’t stop us! As always, if you see anything on a dive, please do submit your sighting to CEDaR, and if you have any interesting photos, videos or stories, we’d love to hear about it! Submit them to us here or tag @dive-ni in your Facebook posts.
