Skip to content
Map of Ship Cove (Fort Williams Park / Portland Head Light)
Add the first photo
IntermediateShore entry

Ship Cove (Fort Williams Park / Portland Head Light)

Maine, United States
Open Water suggested2–15 m depthShore entry7mm or semi-dry + hood typical

Ship Cove (Fort Williams Park / Portland Head Light) at a glance

Ship Cove (Fort Williams Park / Portland Head Light) is a intermediate shore dive site in Maine, United States with depths of 1.5–15.2 m (5–50 ft). Typically most favorable Aug · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see frilled anemone, American lobster, and winter skate. Recent reports put the water around 14°C (58°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 3h ago
0.4 mwaves — under half a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 14°C · seasonal avg 17°C

Site hazards: Loose cobblestones at entry, pronounced tidal current near the shipping channel, large vessel noise/traffic beyond the cove mouth, lobster gear

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Tue
Sun2:00–21:00
Mon6:00–21:00
Tue6:00–21:00
Wed6:00–12:00
Thu6:00–21:00
Fri6:00–21:00
Sat6:00–21:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 4:50 · Sunrise 5:24 · Sunset 20:10

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 0.4 km from site · graded 3h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: frilled anemone, American lobster, sand dollar
Best time: High tide, any season, calm or offshore winds

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan37%6°C1.5 m
  2. Feb29%5°C1.4 m
  3. Mar38%5°C1.6 m
  4. Apr53%6°C1.3 m
  5. May74%10°C1.2 m
  6. Jun81%15°C0.9 m
  7. Jul80%17°C0.9 m
  8. Aug82%18°C1.0 m
  9. Sep73%18°C1.2 m
  10. Oct56%14°C1.3 m
  11. Nov40%11°C1.3 m
  12. Dec38%8°C1.6 m

August hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • frilled anemoneCommonly seen
  • American lobsterCommonly seen
  • winter skateOccasionally seen
  • sand dollarCommonly seen
  • moon snailCommonly seen
  • horseshoe crabOccasionally seen
  • winter flounderCommonly seen

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km. Know one? Add it to the map.

Site details

The dive cove at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, beneath Portland Head Light. The left side offers deep, rugged fluted ledges down to about 50 feet at high tide, including a narrow diver-wide ravine cut; the right side is flatter rock with small 'caves' full of anemones, and military shell casings still turn up. A cobblestone slope guards the central sandy entry, and the park strictly closes at sunset (no night dives).

shorewall

Loose cobblestones at entry, pronounced tidal current near the shipping channel, large vessel noise/traffic beyond the cove mouth, lobster gear

Reviews

No reviews yet — this site is waiting for its first. Dived here? Your rating and a few lines help the next diver.

Spot something off?

Help keep this listing accurate for the next diver.