Chesil Beach

Chesil Beach is a famous shore dive site on the Dorset coast in southern England, where a massive shingle bank stretches 29 kilometers connecting Portland to the mainland. The steeply shelving pebble beach provides easy access to surprisingly interesting seabed terrain with rocky ledges, patches of kelp, and sandy areas. Divers frequently encounter cuttlefish, wrasse, rays, undulate rays, spider crabs, and lobsters. The site is particularly renowned for cuttlefish aggregations in spring and summer. Visibility varies greatly with weather conditions. Shore entry can be challenging due to the steep shingle and potential surf, but the rich marine life and convenient access from Weymouth make Chesil a staple of south coast diving.