wreck

Log This Dive

PENGUIN

Penguin is a wreck we always look forward to diving, a real favourite when we're in Zanzibar. This isn't some purpose-sunk spectacle; she’s an old dredger, built in 1905, that just found her final resting place in the late 1930s. At 22 metres, she's an easy dive, sitting upright and mostly intact at 27.4m long. You can still make out the outline of her dredge arm and the stern's machinery. What we love about Penguin is how completely she's become part of the reef. The metal hull is encrusted in sponges and soft corals, a riot of purples and yellows against the muted steel. Look closely and you'll spot moray eels peering from holes, stonefish camouflaged on the deck, and sometimes even a torpedo ray settled into the sand nearby. Inside, if you're comfortable with small penetrations, the wheelhouse offers a spooky, silty swim-through. We’d suggest going early in the morning for the best light filtering down to the wreck. It’s a great dive for photographers wanting to capture both history and marine life.