- Sea temp 14.9 °C surface, modelled
- Air 12 °C Partly cloudy
- Wind 12 mph from NW · gust 23
- Next tide Low 03:24 tomorrow · 0.5 m
Cooper's Bay is a coastal beach on the North Down coast. It is not a designated bathing water, so there is no routine water-quality monitoring here.
Conditions now
Air
12°C
Partly cloudy
Sea temp
14.9°C
surface, modelled
Wind
12mph
from NW · gust 23 mph
Sea state1.0 mperiod 5 s · NW
Swell0.4 m6 s · NW
Rain, 48 h5 mm
Water quality
Not a designated bathing water — not routinely sampled.
No published samples for this site yet.
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain.
Sewage & storm overflows
25 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 24 rated Unsatisfactory. Modelled ~544 spills/year combined.
Nearest 12
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Spills/yr | Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seapark Holywood CSO → Belfast Lough |
40 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | — |
| Bangor Road Seapark CSO → Belfast Lough |
220 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~8 | — |
| Stewart Place CSO → Belfast Lough |
430 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~32 | — |
| Old Quay Court WwPS → Belfast Lough |
590 yd | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
| Clanbrassil WwPS → Belfast Lough Inner |
600 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~28 | — |
| Brook Street Holywood CSO → Belfast Lough |
610 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~4 | — |
| Marine Parade Holywood CSO → Belfast Lough Inner |
700 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~12 | — |
| Shore Road Holywood CSO → Belfast Lough Inner |
700 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~35 | — |
| Croft Burn CSO | 810 yd | Satisfactory | — | — |
| Bangor Road Old Quay CSO → Belfast Lough |
840 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~43 | — |
| Hibernia Street CSO → Belfast Lough Inner |
850 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~94 | — |
| Victoria Road CSO → Belfast Lough |
880 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~153 | — |
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Kinnegar WwTW (1.0 mi → Belfast Lough Inner) · Glen Cottages 1-6 ST (1.5 mi → Belfast Lough).
Spill figures are modelled annual predictions, not measured events. Classification is NI Water's own.
Amenities nearby & features
Parking
30
Toilets
2
Cafes & food
e.g. Suitor&Co
4
Pubs & bars
2
Shops
e.g. Tesco Express
4
Picnic tables
2
Benches
30
Bike parking
2
Viewpoints
e.g. Holywood Old Pier
1
Information
e.g. Praeger's Field
3
Bins
5
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Belfast 2.0 mi
- Belfast 4.4 mi
- Carrickfergus 4.5 mi
- Carrickfergus 4.5 mi
- Bangor 6.4 mi
Kind and ownership are DAERA's own classification. The feed carries no per-site facility data — call ahead for berthing, fuel, water or shore power.
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Outer Belfast Lough
- SPA Belfast Lough
- SPA Belfast Lough Open Water
- Ramsar Belfast Lough
Alerts & advisories
Weever fish
Lesser weever fish bury themselves in wet sand around the low-tide line in summer and have venomous dorsal spines. Wear beach shoes and shuffle your feet in the shallows. A sting is intensely painful but rarely serious: immerse the foot in water as hot as you can tolerate (about 40 C) for 30-90 minutes and seek help if a spine remains or swelling spreads.
Midges and clegs
Biting midges and clegs (horseflies) are worst on warm, still, overcast days and around dawn and dusk from late spring to early autumn, especially near dunes, marram grass and standing water. A breeze off the sea keeps them down. Cover up or use repellent at the back of the beach.
Jellyfish
Lion's mane and compass jellyfish are common off the Northern Ireland coast in summer and are often blown inshore and stranded after onshore winds. Lion's mane stings can be severe. Do not rub a sting; rinse with seawater, remove tentacles with a gloved hand or card, and use hot water or a cold pack for pain.
Seasonal dog restrictions
Many Northern Ireland councils restrict dogs from the main bathing area, or require dogs on leads, between 1 May and 30 September (Blue Flag beaches usually exclude dogs from the bathing zone entirely in season). Rules and dates vary by beach and council: check the signage at the entrance and your council's bathing-beach byelaws.