Local Dive Site Guide: Eddystone Lighthouse

Key Details

Site Guide

The Eddystone Lighthouse sits 12 miles offshore on the outcrop of rock known as The Eddystone. Once the precarious location of the iconic Smeaton's Tower that now sits proudly on Plymouth Hoe, this reef can be perilous to ships. The current lighthouse has been in the position since 1882 and its light can be seen as far as 20 miles warning ships of the rocks beneath. 

A long boat trip out beyond Plymouth Sound, the Eddystone Reef area attracts a wide variety of marine life including, surface spottings of dolphins, seals, basking sharks and sunfish (mola mola). The dive site is beautiful and below the water you descend onto a rocky reef of large boulders rounded by the waves. The reef is covered in soft corals and sponges, carpets of pink jewel anemones, dead man’s fingers and the protected pink sea fan. In the shallow sections, sun-drenched kelp moves with the swell above. This environment makes the perfect home for many species of fish such as pollack, wrasse, cod and occasionally bigger fish such as bass.

For those of you looking for shark encounters, this site is known for rare sightings of blue sharks and more commonly, starry smooth hounds, dogfish and the previously mentioned occasionally basking sharks. For macro lovers, the shallower sections of the reef make the perfect place to hunt for nudibranchs, anemone crabs and blennies. It truly is a special dive and a chance to tick off one of Cornwall’s most iconic dive sites.

Certification Level

This site requires a level of dive experience beyond some of our shallower sites as currents can be challenging and it drops to significant depths.  We recommend a minimum qualification of the Deep Diver specialty or an advanced diver with significant UK experience. Talk to our team to find out more about our next trip or book in for one of our boat dives online.