ZORROZAURE

Good diving all year

Protected Area

Farranamanagh Lough 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) - ZORROZAURE 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 7m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Zorrozaure. A name that just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? This isn't your typical Irish wreck dive, and we love it for that. She's a steel-hulled fishing vessel, gone down in 2000, sitting upright at a mere seven metres. That shallow depth means incredible light penetration on a good day, painting the wreck in shifting shades of green and blue. We’ve spent hours poking around her. You can fin right over the wheelhouse, seeing the ghostly outlines of the controls. Down on the deck, the fishing gear is still largely in place, nets draped like discarded cobwebs, and the huge winches loom. It’s a site that feels immediate, almost like the crew just stepped off. Look for conger eels tucked into the darker corners, their heads peering out, and we’ve often found dogfish resting on the sand nearby, almost camouflaged. The sheer volume of fish sheltering within her structure is impressive, particularly the pollack and coalfish darting through the skeletal remains. Because she’s so shallow, it’s a site we’d recommend for extended bottom times, perfect for photographers or those just wanting to soak in the atmosphere. Go at high slack for the calmest conditions, though the visibility can vary wildly here depending on the tides and recent weather.