Dublin Bay · Ireland · Wreck
Bolivar
A Norwegian motor ship lost on the Kish Bank in a snowstorm
The wreck of the MV Bolivar, a Norwegian cargo and passenger motor vessel that ran aground on the Kish Bank out in Dublin Bay. The remains lie in shallow water on sand, but the bank is open to swell and current. Shoals of large pollack often hover nearby, and congers hide in its many holes.
Also known as MV Bolivar, M.V. Bolivar.
Where it is and how deep
53.3108° N, 5.9257° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Bolivar sits on a sandy seabed in about 12 m on the Kish Bank, the sandbank she struck. The area around the engines still stands quite high, but the rest of the wreck is scattered beams, masts and plates half sunk in the sand. On a bank this shallow the wreck is very susceptible to swell, and the currents around it can be quite strong.
The wreck
- Vessel
- MV Bolivar
- Type
- Norwegian cargo and passenger motor vessel
- Built
- 1940
- Sunk
- 1947
- Cause
- Caught in a snowstorm and ran aground on the Kish sandbank
- Lies
- On a sandy seabed in about 12 m on the Kish Bank
The Bolivar was a Norwegian cargo and passenger motor vessel built in 1940. En route from Uruguay to Oslo via Dublin, she was caught in a snowstorm and ran aground on the Kish Bank on 4 March 1947. The ship was evacuated and later broke in two, and the wreck was dispersed with explosives, though parts are still reasonably intact. Her remains are one of the Kish Bank wrecks that divers visit often.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Dublin Bay: Club boats run from April to October; high summer brings the longest days and evening dives, while March has the coldest water.
Know before you go
- Swell builds over the shallow Kish Bank and currents around the wreck can be quite strong.
- The scattered wreck has few distinguishing features and is hard to navigate, so use a distance line back to the shot or carry a delayed SMB.
Photos from Bolivar
Ridiculopathy · CC0
Dive videos
MV Bolivar - Kish Bank, with Oceandivers · dublin00diver on YouTube
Sources
- Dublin Bay dive guide — DUSAC (Dublin University Sub-Aqua Club)
- Kish Bank — Wikipedia
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- A red and white banded lighthouse standing in calm sea, seen from the bow of a boat on a hazy day. by Ridiculopathy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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