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Isles of Shoals · United States · Wall · Reef

Mingo Rock

The open-Atlantic face of Duck Island, where the bottom falls away fast

Mingo Rock sits on the far side of Duck Island, facing the open Atlantic, where the shallow island shelf gives way to a fast drop. It is the deeper and more exposed counterpart to the sheltered seal cove, with tidal and wind-driven current and heavy surge at times, and it is a dive for advanced divers only.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Mingo Rock: typical dive to 18 m (to 60 ft), deepest point 27 m (90 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit18 m27 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

43.0014° N, 70.6004° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Off the seaward side of the island the bottom drops quickly from the shallow shelf to 18 m (60 ft) and more, and the ground around the rock continues to about 27 m (90 ft). Both the tide and the wind set up current here, so conditions on the rock can differ from the calm cove on the other side of the island.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Mingo Rock
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodFairFair

Season follows Isles of Shoals: May to October gives the most favourable conditions; the seals stay year round, but the water falls to about 4 °C in February and March.

Know before you go

  • Heavy surge can build on the rock, which faces the open Atlantic.
  • Tidal as well as wind-driven current runs around the rock.

Dive videos

Mingo Rock · Kristen Mello on YouTube

Sources

  1. Guide to dives and local diving sites — Portsmouth Scuba
  2. Local Dive Sites in NH & Maine — Seafari Charters

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