wreck

Log This Dive

CASTEL

The Castel, tucked away in the dramatic Lofoten Islands, isn't your average Norwegian wreck dive. This isn’t a deep, dark exploratory mission. Instead, you get a motor vessel sitting upright and relatively shallow, maxing out at 20 metres. We love that it’s accessible, making it a cracking dive for those newer to wreck diving or anyone who prefers a longer bottom time. From the moment you descend, the sheer bulk of the Castel emerges from the green-blue water. The bridge is largely intact, and you can swim through various compartments, peeking into what used to be crew quarters. Our favourite part has to be the stern, where the prop is still in place, encrusted with anemones and hydroids. Look closely, and you’ll spot a surprising number of critters - we’ve seen everything from plump wolf-eels poking out of holes to inquisitive pollack swirling around the superstructure. It’s a site that changes with the light, especially on a bright day when the sun dapples through the rigging. Expect cold water, naturally, but the visibility here can be fantastic. If you hit it on a calm day, the experience of exploring this piece of history, now a vibrant artificial reef, is really something.