WILHELMINE - North Sea Coast
The WILHELMINE is a proper piece of history, just six metres down off the North Sea coast. We love a shallow wreck, especially one with a story, and this German trawler, sunk in 1944, delivers. The character of the wreck itself is what draws us in; it’s broken up, but still clearly a vessel, with ribs and plating scattered across the seabed. You can poke around the hull sections, imagining the chaos that sent her down. What you'll find here now is a surprisingly vibrant artificial reef. The metalwork is completely encrusted with an amazing tapestry of anemones and hydroids, shifting with the gentle surge. Flatfish often rest in the sand nearby, almost perfectly camouflaged, and we’ve seen schools of juvenile cod darting between the wreckage. It's a dive for those who appreciate history and the quiet resilience of nature reclaiming its own. We’d suggest hitting it on a calm day; visibility can be a bit variable on this coast, but when it’s good, the WILHELMINE truly shines.
- Location
- North Sea Coast, Denmark, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 55.172253, 10.968725
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 6m
Marine Protected Area: Broen
Best Time to Dive in North Sea Coast
The warmest water temperatures in North Sea Coast occur in January, averaging 4.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 4.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 4.6°C (air: 3.3°C)
- February: 4.6°C (air: 3.6°C)
- March: 4.6°C (air: 4.1°C)
- April: 4.6°C (air: 6.7°C)
- May: 4.6°C (air: 11.2°C)
- June: 4.6°C (air: 15.4°C)
- July: 4.6°C (air: 16.2°C)
- August: 4.6°C (air: 16.7°C)
- September: 4.6°C (air: 14.7°C)
- October: 4.6°C (air: 10.8°C)
- November: 4.6°C (air: 6.9°C)
- December: 4.6°C (air: 3.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in North Sea Coast
- 101 (POSSIBLY) - 20m (wreck)
- Aalborg Sportsdykkerklub
- AAROSUND - 10m (wreck)
- ACTIV - 14m (wreck)
- ADAMAR - 24m (wreck)
- AGNES - 0m (wreck)
- AGNETE - 5m (wreck)
- AGNETHE - 12m (wreck)
- Albertus (reef)
- ALBIS - 2m (wreck)
- ALEX - 15m (wreck)
- Alholm Rev (reef)
- ALLIANCE - 10m (wreck)
- ALLIANCE H 156 - 22m (wreck)
- ALMA - 20m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to WILHELMINE
- Aquatic Marine
- Blivdykker.dk - ["PADI"]
- Broagerlands Dykkercenter
- Carlsens Dykkercenter A/S - SSI
- Dieter's Tauchshop
- Diving 2000 A/S - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in North Sea Coast
Home to 105 recorded species including 55 reef fish, 9 crabs & lobsters, 8 other, 7 clams & mussels, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- Ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) - Clams & Mussels
- Fluke (Platichthys flesus) - Reef Fish
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) - Clams & Mussels
- bull rout (Myoxocephalus scorpius) - Reef Fish
- Sea potato (Echinocardium cordatum) - Sea Urchins
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- eel (Anguilla anguilla) - Reef Fish
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for WILHELMINE
Based on average water temperature of 4.6°C.
- Drysuit - water at 5°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