Diving near St Pauls inside the Channel

Name Dive Site:	St Pauls, Channel
Depth:	3-25m (9-82ft)
Visibility:	1-10m (3-32ft)
Accessibility:	Shore, Boat
Inserted/Added by:	sharkman
Rated:	Rated not yet
Specifications:

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The approx 100 m wide passage between the mainland and St. Paul's islands is known as the channel. This is a very shallow area between 3 to 12m deep, and it slopes deeper to around 25m as you head inwards. The bottom is a mix of sand and grass patches.

In the centre of the channel, there are a few pieces of metal from a ship wreckage believed to be the remains of the HMS KINGSTON, which was sunk here during WWII to prevent enemy ships from passing into the bay.

Also, crossing the channel to the south west wall of St. Paul's Island, one can find a few boulders and the remains of a hull belonging to the 'HANINI', a tourist boat sunk here in 1994.

Passing the channel to the left of the islands and towards the north, there is another WWII momento. In a depth of 6m, there are some engine parts and two metal plates which used to belong to a small unidentified fighter plane that was shot down here.

Marine life in this area includes Pipefish, parrotfish, wrasses, Sea urchins, fireworms and bream. Octopus and morays can also be found hiding inside cracks and under rocks.

WARNINGS:
There is very heavy boat traffic passing inside the channel so extreme caution and an SMB are a must.

Visibility in the area is very low due to the fish farms in the area, so stay close to your buddy.

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