EMPRESS - South Coast
The Empress, a steamship lost in 1897, rests at 20 metres off the South Coast of Ireland. We usually find her fairly intact, given the time she's spent down there, a solid structure with a visible single boiler and some of the triple-expansion engine bits still identifiable. Shoals of pollock and coalfish often swirl around the main sections, especially near the bow, and we’ve seen plenty of conger eels poking out from beneath the larger plates. It's a proper wreck dive, more about the history and the structure than a riot of colour, but the marine life that has made it home adds real character. Good for divers comfortable with a deeper wreck.
- Location
- South Coast, Ireland, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 52.160890, -6.414889
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
Marine Protected Area: Carnsore Point SAC
Best Time to Dive in South Coast
The warmest water temperatures in South Coast occur in January, averaging 8.8°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 8.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 8.8°C (air: 7.0°C)
- February: 8.8°C (air: 8.3°C)
- March: 8.8°C (air: 8.1°C)
- April: 8.8°C (air: 9.3°C)
- May: 8.8°C (air: 11.8°C)
- June: 8.8°C (air: 14.2°C)
- July: 8.8°C (air: 15.6°C)
- August: 8.8°C (air: 15.8°C)
- September: 8.8°C (air: 14.6°C)
- October: 8.8°C (air: 12.4°C)
- November: 8.8°C (air: 9.9°C)
- December: 8.8°C (air: 8.1°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in South Coast
- ALFRED D SNOW - 30m (wreck)
- ALISON - 2m (wreck)
- ALIZE - 50m (wreck)
- ALLIANCE II - 4m (wreck)
- ALONDRA - 15m (wreck)
- AMARYLLIS - 45m (wreck)
- ANNE SOPHIE - 0m (wreck)
- ANTONY - 51m (wreck)
- ANTONY - 53m (wreck)
- ARDENT II - 35m (wreck)
- ARY - 25m (wreck)
- ASIAN - 10m (wreck)
- ASTRID - 0m (wreck)
- AUD - 39m (wreck)
- BANDON - 33m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to EMPRESS
Marine Life in South Coast
Home to 199 recorded species including 97 reef fish, 24 sharks & rays, 14 whales & dolphins, 14 other, 10 crabs & lobsters, 10 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- hake (Merluccius merluccius) - Reef Fish
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) - Reef Fish
- grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) - Reef Fish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) - Reef Fish
- megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- lesser argentine (Argentina sphyraena) - Reef Fish
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) - Reef Fish
- Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
- Boarfish (Capros aper) - Reef Fish
- witch (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) - Reef Fish
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Spotted Dragonet (Callionymus maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Bastard Sole (Microchirus variegatus) - Reef Fish
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for EMPRESS
Based on average water temperature of 8.8°C.
- Drysuit - water at 9°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
- Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories