wreck

Log This Dive

PELINAION

The Pelinaion is one of those shallow wrecks that just keeps giving, especially when the light is right. She was a big steamship, all 117 metres of her, built in 1907 and ran aground near St David’s Head back in 1940. Now, with only 2 metres of depth to play with, it’s not a deep dive, but what a snorkel or freedive it is. We love coming here on a calm morning, ideally with a slight swell to give it some drama. You’ll find her broken up, but the sheer scale of the scattered plates and twisted metal is impressive. Look for the massive propeller blades, often draped in soft corals, and the outline of her boilers. Light filters through the gaps in the hull, illuminating schools of sergeant majors darting through the structure, and we’ve often spotted parrotfish grazing right on the rusted steel. Our favourite part has to be the bow section, a real jumble of steel that provides countless nooks for juvenile fish and anemones. It’s a photographer's dream for wide-angle shots, capturing the sun's rays dancing on the wreck. Just be mindful of your footing, as it’s a genuine shipwreck, not a curated art installation.