DORNHAI (PROBABLY) - Bornholm

The Dornhai (Probably) isn’t your typical Caribbean coral garden, and that’s precisely why we love it. This isn't just a wreck; it's a cold-water time capsule, a 26.5m trawler that went down in 1973 after a foggy collision. We’ve always found these Baltic wrecks have a particular allure, a stark beauty that feels genuinely wild. Dropping down, the visibility can be patchy, so pick your day, but when it clears, the Dornhai reveals itself, settled upright on the sandy bottom at 16m. The sheer scale of the fishing gear is impressive; you’ll see nets draped like ghostly curtains, still snagged on parts of the superstructure. Swim through the wheelhouse, imagining the chaos of that fateful morning, then peer into the holds where the catch would have been. What really gets us is the way the cold water preserves everything – the wood, the metalwork, even some of the smaller fittings often stripped from warmer wrecks. Look closely and you’ll find crabs scuttling over the decking and small shoals of cod hovering in the shadows, making the wreck their home. This is a dive for those who appreciate history, the quiet power of the ocean to reclaim, and the unique, rugged charm of European wreck diving.

Location: Bornholm, Denmark, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates: 55.725040, 12.673510
Type: wreck
Maximum Depth: 16m

Marine Protected Area: S

Best Time to Dive in Bornholm

The warmest water temperatures in Bornholm occur in January, averaging 3.3°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 3.3°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

January: 3.3°C (air: 3.1°C)
February: 3.3°C (air: 3.2°C)
March: 3.3°C (air: 3.9°C)
April: 3.3°C (air: 6.0°C)
May: 3.3°C (air: 10.9°C)
June: 3.3°C (air: 16.1°C)
July: 3.3°C (air: 17.4°C)
August: 3.3°C (air: 18.0°C)
September: 3.3°C (air: 15.7°C)
October: 3.3°C (air: 11.5°C)
November: 3.3°C (air: 7.1°C)
December: 3.3°C (air: 3.5°C)

Nearest Dive Centres to DORNHAI (PROBABLY)

Marine Life in Bornholm

Home to 67 recorded species including 43 reef fish, 7 clams & mussels, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 crabs & lobsters, 2 starfish, 2 other.

Notable Species

Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
Fluke (Platichthys flesus) - Reef Fish
whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
bull rout (Myoxocephalus scorpius) - Reef Fish
Ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) - Clams & Mussels
eel (Anguilla anguilla) - Reef Fish
four-bearded rockling (Enchelyopus cimbrius) - Reef Fish
New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) - Reef Fish
Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) - Reef Fish
saithe (Pollachius virens) - Reef Fish
Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) - Clams & Mussels
Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish

Recommended Packing List for DORNHAI (PROBABLY)

Based on average water temperature of 3.3°C.

Drysuit - water at 3°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
Mask - essential for every dive
Fins
BCD - buoyancy compensator
Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories