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The Isle of North Uist is in the middle of the Irish Sea
and is surrounded by clear water full of wrecks
and marine life. Isle of North Uist diving has something to suit
all tatses and experiences. The sheltered sea lochs, spectacular
drop offs, submerged cliffs and wrecks make the diving
here among the best in Europe.
Always dive according to your level of training.
Never enter the water without checking with the local dive center
for safety, additional information, level required for each dive
site and without being accompanied by a professional. All the
information provided is purely informative for our readers and
shouldn't be used as is to plan your immersion.
The Isle of North Uist is the center of a group
of Islands known as the Western Isles or the Hebrides. The Hebrides
stretch over 100 miles (160 km) and are referred to as long island.
The islands lie in a zone where warm waters of the Gulf Stream
mix with cooler Arctic waters from the north which results in
marine life that is characteristc of both regions. You
will encounter porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks and whales.
The visibility here is great, sometimes exceeding
60 metres (196 feet) and the marine life abundant.
The Atlantic Ocean has a rugged coastline offering
great views. The offshore islands are impresive. Monarch Isles
has wonderful white sand beaches and harbours large colonies of
Atlantic Grey Seals.
Loch Maddy is well known for its extraordinary
marine life. you will encounter giant prawns, rays, sea
pens, sea gurkins and sea cucumbers.
The Minch is a sheltered channel of the sea that
separates the Outer Hebrides from the Scottish mainland. On the
submerged reefs that drop to the sea bed there are lots
of colourful jewel anemones, plumose anemones and sponges. Sea
fans and devonshire cup corals are abundant. Many dive
sites here are still undicovered but are very exposed.
The Butt of Lewis at the north of the Island
has some very spectacular scenic diving. There are lots of rocky
reefs, inlets and coves. Many are still to be discovered. St Kilda,one
of the small islets has rocky scenery underwater with tunnels,
caves and archways. The marine life is colourful and abundant
and the visibility can sometimes go over 60 metres (196 feet).
There are many shipwrecks around these islands.
Some are regularly dived while many are still believed to be undiscovered.
One of the most famous is the SS Stassa in the Outer Hebrides.
She sunk in 1966 on July 19th en route from Russia to Ireland
with a cargo of timber. Some of the cargo is still visible.
The SS Burnside sunk in March 1933 while transporting
a cargo of parrafin and limestone. A fire breakout was responsible
for this accident. There's plenty of marine life around the stern.
The SS Politician, a popular wreck went down
in foggy weather on 5 February 1941. She had a general cargo of
whisky. Much of it was salvaged but apparently you can still see
intact bottles of whisky.
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