Cornwall · United Kingdom · Reef
Drawna Rock
A rock just off Porthkerris beach, reached without a boat
Photo: heartypanther · Public domain
Drawna Rock is the shore dive at Porthkerris on the east side of the Lizard, a rock lying just off the beach. The cove sits under high cliffs and is protected from all but east winds, and with depths of up to 18 m the site is a training ground for beginner and experienced divers alike.
0Where it is and how deep
50.0648° N, 5.0663° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The beach drops away quickly towards a fringing reef that breaks the surface within a hundred metres of shore, and behind it a submerged reef arcs out for about two hundred metres more. Along the reef the depth increases gradually from 6 m to 12 to 15 m depending on the tide, and below the kelp line the rock carries jewel anemones, tunicates, sea cucumbers and sponges. In spring and summer hordes of juvenile cuttlefish gather on the seabed.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Cornwall: Wrecks and reefs are dived all year when the weather allows; mid-May to September brings the sharks.
Know before you go
- Currents run along the seaward face of the reef during spring tides.
Photos from Drawna Rock
heartypanther · Public domain
heartypanther · Public domain
Dive videos
Drawna Rock, Porthkerris Divers, 4th August 2024 · Rustic Diver on YouTube
Sources
- Porthkerris Divers — Porthkerris Divers
- Shore Diving — Porthkerris Divers
Photo credits
- A blue and orange wrasse swims over a pale sandy seabed beside a strand of brown kelp by heartypanther, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Two pale brown crabs face each other claws first on a gravel seabed under a rocky overhang by heartypanther, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- A small orange and pink striped fish swims among kelp fronds and red seaweed by heartypanther, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Cornwall
Reef
Two rocks at the mouth of Port Quin, diveable at any tide
Wreck
A wartime wreck at 40 m with boxes of anti-aircraft heads at the bows
A Victorian liner broken up on the rocks that sank her in 1898
Reef
Remains of two First World War U-boats a short swim from the steps
Wreck
A coal steamer lost with all hands in a storm off Towan Head
Church stones in Cornish: rocks that have wrecked over a hundred ships
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Comox Valley & Hornby Island · Canada
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