Farne Island Diving
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November 8, 2024 – November 10, 2024
Farne Island Diving
The Farne Islands are undoubtably one of the best places to dive in the UK. Famous for the Grey seal colony, and breeding seabirds including Puffin, Tern, Shag, Cormorant and Guillemot. With waters teeming with life, they are also from time to time, feeding areas for Gannets and playful Bottle Nose Dolphins that are becoming increasingly more frequent visitors to the area,
The Farnes consist of almost 30 small islands and rock outcrops lying between 2 and 4 miles off the Northumberland coast. They are split into two main groups separated by a stretch of water known as Staple Sound. Most of the dive sites are around the outer Farnes with wrecks to explore as well as stunning reefs and walls.
There is a resident colony of around 4-5 thousand grey seals on the islands. They are clumsy on land but fast and agile underwater. The young seals are very inquisitive and often sneak up on divers to nibble fins. The best sites to dive with seals are the Hopper, Brada, Blue Caps, Big Harcar and the Knivestone.
Some of the more popular wreck sites in the area include: Chris Christiansen, St Andre, Abyssinia and close by but restricted by tides are the Somali and Acclivity. With depths between 15-35m there is a wreck for all abilities.
Many of the walls around the islands are covered in dead men’s fingers, anemones, soft corals and nudibranchs. The cracks in the rocks abound with squat lobsters, edible crabs, lobsters, blennies, butterfish and shrimps.