Game of Thrones tourists treated to strange water sport

A large number of spectators, including those on a Game of Thrones bus tour, watched in amazement as swimmers took part in an unusual adrenalin filled sport in Ballintoy.

Upwards of 100 people took pictures and made videos on mobile phones as a group of swimmers swam out to an area of water seemingly protected by rocks. However, as gales lashed the sea, large waves burst through a gap in the rocks. The swimmers swam around as the waves burst into the air and then crashed down on them, wearing helmets in case they were smashed against the rocks.

The craze is known as ‘coasteering’, and Coasteering NI said it was responsible for “the group having fun in the big swells”.

Ballintoy has been used as a filming location in HBO’s epic series Game of Thrones and the number of tourists at this time of year reflect the impact the series has made on tourism across the North Coast. This stunning harbour location has been used for exterior Pyke shots and as the Iron Islands.

The picturesque coastal nook is where Theon Greyjoy arrives back in the Iron Islands and where he later admires his ship, the Sea Bitch. This is also where he first meets his sister Yara.

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