MEMPHIS

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) - MEMPHIS 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 24m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Memphis isn't just another lump of metal on the seabed. She’s a proper steamship, 105 metres long, sunk off Mizen Head in 1896. We love that a ship this size, built by Harland & Wolff no less, sits at a very manageable 24 metres. It means you get decent bottom time to really appreciate the scale of her. When we drop in, the sheer size of the Memphis is always the first thing that hits you. Her bow section is quite broken up, but you can still trace the outline of the decks. There’s often a current here, nothing too fierce, but enough to bring in the critters. We usually find conger eels tucked into what’s left of the engine room, and there are always plenty of wrasse darting in and out of the plating. Look for the prop shaft alley, it’s a tight squeeze but worth a peek. Our favourite part has to be the stern, still relatively intact, with the massive rudder and propeller. It’s a photographer’s dream, especially when the light filters down through the plankton bloom. Visibility can vary, but on a good day, seeing that whole structure emerge from the gloom is something else. This site is perfect for anyone keen on genuine wreck exploration, offering history you can touch and a lively ecosystem on the structure itself.