- Sea temp 13.2 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.5 m period 3 s · N
- Wind 9 mph from NE · gust 18
- Next tide High 04:52 today · 3.4 m
Sandeel 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
10°C
Clear
Swell
0.4m
period 3 s · N
Rain
0mm
last 48 hours
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
7 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi.
Measured in 2025118 spills259 h · 37 in the bathing season · 4 of 7 monitored
Nearest 7 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlock Sandeel WwPS → Belfast Lough |
20 yd | To be Determined | — | 76 spills 27 in season · 220 h |
| Orlock Lane WwPS → Ards Penninsula |
690 yd | To be Determined | — | 33 spills 7 in season · 38 h |
| Briggs Rock WwPS → Belfast Lough Outer |
0.5 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
| Orlock Briggs Rock WwPS → Belfast Lough Outer |
0.5 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
| Orlock Seahaven WwPS → Belfast Lough Outer |
0.5 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
| Harbour Road Groomsport WwPS → Belfast Lough |
1.1 mi | To be Determined | — | 4 spills 0 in season · <1 h |
| Warren Road Three WwPS → Belfast Lough |
1.2 mi | Satisfactory | — | 5 spills 3 in season · <1 h |
How these are counted
“Modelled” is NI Water's hydraulic-model prediction of spills per year. “Measured” is from NI Water's event duration monitors, counted with the industry 12/24 method (discharges within the same 12- or 24-hour block count as one spill); the bathing-season figure (1 Jun–15 Sep) is our count from NI Water's published discharge log. An overflow with no monitor isn't known to be dry. Classification is NI Water's own.
Nearest wastewater treatment works: North Down WwTW (870 yd → Belfast Lough Outer) · Ballycrochan Road ST (2.8 mi → Ballyholme River).
Amenities & features
Parking
3
Cafes & food
e.g. Oush
1
Benches
5
Bins
1
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Groomsport 1.2 mi
- Donaghadee 3.1 mi
- Bangor 3.4 mi
2 more further away
- Bangor 3.4 mi
- Unknown 7.0 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Outer Ards
2 protected features
- Intertidal rock Favourable, 2020
- Intertidal mudflats and sandflats Favourable, 2021
- SAC North Channel
1 protected feature
- Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena Favourable, 2019
- SPA Outer Ards
5 protected features · 3 Unfavourable
- Arctic tern Favourable, 2017
- Golden plover Unfavourable, 2018
- Light-bellied Brent goose Favourable, 2018
- Turnstone Unfavourable, 2018
- Ringed plover Unfavourable, 2018
- pSPA East Coast Marine proposed Special Protection Area, not yet classified
7 proposed features
- Great crested grebe
- Red throated diver
- Sandwich tern
- Common tern
- Arctic tern
- Manx shearwater
- Eider duck
- Ramsar Outer Ards
6 protected features · 2 Unfavourable
- Arctic tern Favourable, 2017
- Golden plover Unfavourable, 2018
- Light-bellied Brent goose Favourable, 2018
- Turnstone not yet assessed
- Ringed plover Unfavourable, 2018
- Manx Shearwater not yet assessed
Protected features and their latest condition assessment, from DAERA's 2023 marine protected area review. Only sites with a marine part are assessed there.
Alerts & advisories
No advisories active for this beach today.