Pembrokeshire & Skomer · United Kingdom · Kelp forest · Sand slope · Night
St Brides Haven
Cuttlefish night dives in a kelp forest of hidden gullies
Photo: welshbabe · CC BY-SA 2.0
St Brides Haven is a sheltered shore dive with a flat sandy bottom and a narrow entrance, where Pembrokeshire divers take their first sea dives and test new kit. The left side of the bay hides a kelp forest cut by gullies, and cuttlefish arriving on their migration draw night divers.
Also known as St Brides.
Where it is and how deep
51.7543° N, 5.1863° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The flat sand inside the narrow entrance is where novices are introduced to the sea and entry-level courses are run. Divers after depth and exploration head for the left side of the bay, where a vast kelp forest hides gullies, among them The Arch. Jewel anemones, strawberry anemones, crabs, lobsters, prawns and nudibranchs live in the gullies.
The bay reaches 14 m at its deepest. Visibility can reach 15 m, but strong northerly winds and storms cut it sharply and can block the gullies. The cuttlefish night dives are timed to the arrival of the migrating animals.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Pembrokeshire & Skomer: Diving runs all year round; storms and strong northerlies cut visibility, and northerlies can close St Brides and Martins Haven.
Know before you go
- Boats pass through the bay and its mouth; divers use an SMB or DSMB there and in the bay itself.
- Northerly winds bring current and swell, and storms reduce visibility and access to the gullies.
Dive videos
Diving West Wales, St Brides Haven, Pembrokeshire, Check out those Spider Crabs · Chris Price Diving on YouTube
Sources
- Pembrokeshire Shore Diving — Haven Diving Services
Photo credits
- A small rocky cove of calm blue water opening to the sea, seen from a grassy clifftop under a clear sky by welshbabe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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