White Park Bay
Safety warning
- Dangerous rip currents
- Powerful currents can carry even experienced swimmers away from the shore into deeper water. Walking and paddling in the shallows are the advised uses of this beach. — National Trust
- Not a designated bathing water
- Not monitored under the Bathing Water Directive, so there is no classification, no sampling and no pollution alerting for it. — DAERA bathing water register
Do not swim
The National Trust, which has cared for White Park Bay since 1938, states that the beach is unsafe for swimming because of dangerous rip currents that can carry even strong swimmers out from the shore. It is not a designated bathing water, so no water-quality monitoring applies.
Checked .
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.2°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.3 m
Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.
Tide
Going out
- Low water around UTC
- High water around UTC
Modelled values, not measurements — coastal water often differs from the open-sea model, and tide times are approximate to within about half an hour. Use official tide tables for anything that depends on precise timing.
About this spot
White Park Bay is a wide arc of white sand between two headlands on the North Antrim coast, backed by dunes rich in wild flowers and known for its 'singing sands'. It has been in the care of the National Trust since 1938.
Common questions
- Can you swim at White Park Bay right now?
- White Park Bay is currently marked "Do not swim". The National Trust, which has cared for White Park Bay since 1938, states that the beach is unsafe for swimming because of dangerous rip currents that can carry even strong swimmers out from the shore. It is not a designated bathing water, so no water-quality monitoring applies. Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
Get told when this changes
We’ll email you when the swim status at White Park Bay moves — a pollution alert opening, or one lifting. Not a newsletter: only this spot, only when it changes, at most once every 12 hours.
Your address is used for these alerts and nothing else, is never shared, and is deleted the moment you unsubscribe — a link is in every email.
Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Ballycastle — about 10 km away.