Reefwander
A low, flat green island lies offshore beyond a grassy bank and a curving sandy beach under a cloudy sky — Gun's Island, Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough · United Kingdom · Reef · Wall

Gun's Island

Sheer walls and swim-throughs around a rock off Ballyhornan

Photo: Eric Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0

A scenic dive around a small rocky outcrop close to the mainland at Ballyhornan on the Lecale coast. Sheer walls, large boulders and the odd swim-through make up the route, and it can be dived at any state of the tide.

Also known as Guns Island, Gun’s Island.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Gun's Island: typical dive to 16 m (to 52 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit16 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

54.3017° N, 5.5539° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The route circles the outcrop to a maximum of 16 m, with sheer walls on both sides, large boulders and the odd swim-through. The seabed is made up of small stones, so there is little silt to kick up and the visibility can be quite good.

Marine life and season

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

Month-by-month season rating for Gun's Island
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairFairGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodFair

Season follows Strangford Lough: No month stands out as a peak; from December to May the sea feels very cold, and from June to November only cold or cool.

Dive videos

#149 Dive, The White Lady, Guns Island, 31/07/22, Short · FINN on YouTube

Sources

  1. Diving & Snorkeling - Strangford Lough — Strangford Lough & Lecale Partnership
  2. OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap

Photo credits

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