IBERIAN

Good diving all year

Protected Area

Three Castle Head to Mizen Head SAC

Why dive here

With 185+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - IBERIAN offers some of South Coast's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 9-15°C, warmest July, August, September.

Best timeYear-round

WetsuitA drysuit

Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 185+ species recorded

Water9-15°C · warmest July, August, September

CharacterWreck dive · max 20m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Iberian is a proper piece of history, just south of Bird Island. We love a wreck with a story, and this one, a steamship that ran aground in thick weather back in 1885, definitely has one. It’s sitting in about 20 metres, so it’s well within recreational limits, making it pretty accessible for most divers. When you drop down, you’re not looking at a perfectly intact ship, especially after it broke up in a storm a year after sinking. Instead, you’ll find sections of hull plates, ribs, and machinery spread across the seabed. It’s less about penetration here and more about exploring the debris field. We’ve often seen conger eels poking out from beneath the larger plates, and the current can sometimes bring in shoals of pollack. The visibility can be typical for the South Coast, ranging from a murky 5 metres to a decent 15 on a good day, so pick your weather window carefully. It’s a dive that rewards patience and a keen eye for detail, imagining the sheer scale of the ship that once was.