WELCOME to KENMARE BAY

MARINE PROTECTED AREA and SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION

Kenmare Bay is a drowned river valley that was originally classified as a river in order to secure salmon and other fishing rights, The bay is given protected status and is designated as a Special Area of Conservation due to its many habitats, features and plants and animals that live here.  It starts in Kenmare and runs for 60km in a south-westerly direction out into the Atlantic Ocean, The Bull Rock to the south  and Scarriff Island on its western side mark the outer part of the bay. From totally exposed islands and cliffs to shallow inlets and sheltered coves, the bay includes many types of habitat. With changes in coastal and submarine habitats come changes in the flora and fauna. The sea bed ranges from sand, to shingle, boulders to mud and contains everything from invertebrates to shellfish, fish, marine mammals and plants including key forest cover, seaweeds and marl beds. 

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