Strangford Lough · United Kingdom · Wreck · Night
Inner Lees
A bow section that breaks the surface, so no transits are needed
Photo: Eric Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0
The bow section of the Empire Tana, sitting upright in shallow water near Portaferry and reachable from the shore or by boat at any state of the tide. An easy wreck that suits novices and experienced divers alike, it is open enough inside to practise penetration and line laying.
Also known as The Inner Lees.
Where it is and how deep
54.3894° N, 5.5656° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The bow sits upright in 12 m and breaks the surface except at high water, so it is easy to find. Much of the life gathers underneath the hull, particularly on the channel side, and octopus live in the wreckage. There are plenty of openings to enter the wreck and practise penetration skills and line laying, and the same section would make a superb night dive.
The Empire Tana was a cargo ship completed in Trieste in 1923. Raised in 1947 and towed to Strangford Lough for scrapping, she ran aground on the way and broke in two; the stern half is the Outer Lees.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Empire Tana (bow section)
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Built
- 1923
- Sunk
- 1947
- Cause
- Ran aground in 1947 while being taken to be scrapped, and broke in two
- Lies
- Upright in 12 m, breaking the surface except at high water
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
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
inner Lees Portaferry · Dive Charter NI on YouTube
Sources
- Diving & Snorkeling - Strangford Lough — Strangford Lough & Lecale Partnership
- Ready, a dive to remember: Strangford Lough — BSAC
- List of Empire ships (Ta–Te) — Wikipedia
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- A dark rusted hull section breaking the surface of a grey lough beyond a weedy low-tide foreshore by Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Strangford Lough
Hydroid-covered boulders off the Ballyhenry navigation tower
Sheer walls and swim-throughs around a rock off Ballyhornan
The stern half of the Lees wreck, out in the tidal stream
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