Countess of Erne
Conditions & tides
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Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
The Countess of Erne is an iron-hulled paddle steamer lying upright in Portland Harbour, just metres from the inner wall of the north-east breakwater. Built in Dublin in 1868 for the Dublin–Holyhead passenger route, she was later converted into a coal hulk before breaking free of her moorings on 16 September 1935, holing herself on the breakwater wall and sinking rapidly.
The wreck sits upright with her deck at 8–10m and her hull reaching 15–16m at the bottom. Three accessible cargo holds, an intact rudder, propeller, bollards, hawse-pipes, and various deck fittings give the site plenty to explore across multiple dives.
Nudibranchs, pink fan coral, and wrasse are regularly seen on the wreck, and seals occasionally visit. The site is rated at intermediate/sports diver level and is considered one of Portland Harbour's most popular wreck dives, often paired with the nearby Bombardon Unit.
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Entry is by boat, with the wreck lying close to the breakwater wall. Water temperature reaches around 18°C, and visibility tends to be poor, which is typical of harbour conditions at this site.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
snakelocks anemoneAnemonia viridisReported here · unconfirmed
Ballan WrasseLabrus bergyltaReported here · unconfirmed
Velvet Swimming CrabNecora puberReported here · unconfirmed
White Sea-squirtPhallusia mammillataReported here · unconfirmed
Edible CrabCancer pagurusReported here · unconfirmed
Goldsinny WrasseCtenolabrus rupestrisReported here · unconfirmed
Twin FanwormBispira volutacornisReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
WrasseWrasseReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · OGL v3