Kinsale & Old Head · Ireland · Reef
Roberts Cove
Sheltered cove that deepens to about 12 m at high tide
Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0
Roberts Cove is a sheltered shore site about 25 km south of Cork City, near Minane Bridge and Carrigaline, that caters to beginners and seasoned divers alike. It averages around 7 m and reaches about 12 m at high tide.
Where it is and how deep
51.7439° N, 8.3094° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
There is always plenty to see underwater in the cove: wrasse, shrimp, spider crabs, lobster, squid, jewel anemones, sea caves and a couple of resident congers, and seals also turn up. High tide gives the most water, with a possible 12 m on offer.
Marine life and season
- Seals & sea lions
- Squid
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Kinsale & Old Head: Spring and summer bring the migrants, the egg-guarding lumpsuckers and the hydroid bloom; the sea is coldest in January.
Dive videos
Robert's Cove 17.07.2021 DIVING · Mariusz Nastalczyk on YouTube
Sources
- Roberts Cove — Discovering Scuba
- Discovering Scuba — Discovering Scuba
- OpenStreetMap geocoding — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- A narrow blue-green cove runs between rocky headlands under a grassy hill, seen from a clifftop path. by Jonathan Thacker, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Kinsale & Old Head
Reef
Anglerfish and egg-guarding lumpsuckers on reef inside the Old Head
Broken-up 1892 liner with swim-throughs under the Old Head cliffs
Pinnacle
Offshore rocks topping out at 22 m, named for their plentiful ling
Calm sheltered bay used for first scuba dives
Sand slope
Sheltered sandy training bay with sand eels, shelving away from the slip
Wreck
Dutch trawler wreck to potter around under the Big Sovereign
Reef
Two big rocks near shore with a swim-through grotto lined in jewel anemones
Similar dives elsewhere
Grey seals that come to your mask, in 12 metres of water
Reef
Axelsro
Gotland & Fårö · Sweden
The easy-to-reach Visby site of small passages and stone atolls
A shallow training site known for its lobsters
Old diver-training rigs and wreckage scattered around the base of a sea fort