Farne Islands

Verified2026-09-30 checkedReef

Six thousand grey seals, and the young ones will come and chew your fins.

Depth: 8–20 m26–66 ft
Difficulty: Intermediate
Entry: Boat
Typical current: Moderate
Coordinates: 55°37.716′N 1°37.314′W
Activities: Scuba · Freediving

The Farnes hold one of the largest grey seal colonies in Europe, and the dive is unlike any other in Britain because the animals initiate everything. Yearlings come down to a settled diver, mouth the fins, tug them, and wait to see what happens. Let them — pulling away turns play into a chase. Sit on the bottom at 10 m, keep your hands in, and stay put. The rock is kelp-covered and full of wrasse and lobster. Water is 8–14 °C, visibility 5–15 m, and the season is summer because the boats cannot run in a North Sea winter.

Boats run from Seahouses harbour in Northumberland, about an hour north of Newcastle by road.

Best season

ExcellentJul–Sep
GoodJun
GoodOct

Conditions

Water temperature: 13.9°C57°F
Wave height: 0.5 m2 ft
Air temperature: 12.5°C55°F
Wind speed: 30.2 km/h18.8 mph

Updated 2026-10-07 15:45 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Conditions are reported for information only. Assess the site yourself and follow your guide and your training.

No live conditions for this site yet.

We only show numbers we can attribute to a source.

Sea state and tide

On a date

Tide · 10/7

Low06:42-2.13 m
High13:041.30 m
Low19:08-1.59 m

Forecast heights against mean sea level. Real tides in a bay, a harbour or over a flat can differ — check an official tide table before you get in.

Pick a day to see its tide

Only wave height and wind are scored, because those are what close a boat ramp or a shore entry. Water temperature is reported and never scored: 12°C is an ordinary dive in a drysuit and punishing in a 3 mm, and a number that cannot see your suit has no business marking it down. Stars do not decide whether you get in — you and your guide do, on the day.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Marine life you may see

Grey sealHalichoerus grypusCommon
Harbour sealPhoca vitulinaSeasonal
Ballan wrasseLabrus bergyltaCommon
Atlantic codGadus morhuaSeasonal
European lobsterHomarus gammarusCommon
Lion's mane jellyfishCyanea capillataJun–SepSeasonal

From divers

What people who were in the water reported. Not a forecast, and not a judgement about whether the site is safe to dive.

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