wreck

Log This Dive

GIRL ARLENE

The Girl Arlene is one of those wrecks that just makes for a good dive, especially when the weather plays ball. This 21-metre trawler went down in 1989 after a foggy collision, and she’s settled upright at 25 metres. We love how intact she is, still looking very much like a fishing boat, just a little squatter on the seabed. Dropping down, the bridge is often our first stop. You can peer inside, though penetration isn't really the game here. Instead, we weave around the deck, past the winches and where the nets would have been. What really brings her to life are the conger eels; they’re residents, big ones too, often peeking out from pipes and crevices. The wreck itself is covered in dead man's fingers and anemones, a proper explosion of white and orange against the darker metal. It’s a site for divers who appreciate a relatively intact wreck and the life that makes it home, rather than big pelagics. Visibility can be a typical Irish mixed bag, so pick a calm day if you can, and you’ll get the most out of her.