Wreck of RV Belgica - Lofoten Islands
The HMS Shakespeare off Sardinia isn't just another chunk of history on the seabed, it's a moody, evocative dive that really gets under your skin. We love how intact she is, a real testament to her S-class design, sitting upright and proud at around 40-50 metres. Descending onto her deck, you can almost hear the echoes of 1941, picturing the crew in those cramped confines. What makes her special? It’s the sheer scale and the way the Mediterranean has embraced her. Schools of damselfish shimmer around the conning tower, and we often spot devil fish lurking in the deeper shadows of the torpedo tubes. Our favourite part has to be the stern, where the propellor stands out against the blue, often with curious blue-white dolphins making a fleeting appearance in the distance. This dive suits experienced wreck divers who appreciate historical context and don't mind a deeper profile. It’s an immersive experience, a proper journey back in time, rather than just a quick peek.
- Location
- Lofoten Islands, Norway, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 68.795000, 16.593610
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Laugen
Nearby Dive Sites in Lofoten Islands
- Akkarvika
- Alfred von Tirpitz (wreck)
- ALTONA - 25m (wreck)
- ANTON SCHMIDT - 0m (wreck)
- ANTON SCHMIDT (POSSIBLY) - 22m (wreck)
- ATLAS - 60m (wreck)
- BENTE - 10m (wreck)
- Black Watch - 15-30m (wreck)
- BOYKY - 0m (wreck)
- CASTEL - 20m (wreck)
- Donnier 26 - 26m
- Dornier WW2 wreck Onoy (wreck)
- DS Flint (wreck)
- D/S Martha Heinrich Fisser - 24m (wreck)
- D/S Romanby - 24m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Wreck of RV Belgica
Marine Life in Lofoten Islands
Home to 17 recorded species including 12 reef fish, 3 sharks & rays, 1 crabs & lobsters, 1 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- Spawn (Gasterosteus aculeatus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
- Cape Shark (Squalus acanthias) - Sharks & Rays
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- pearl-side (Maurolicus muelleri) - Reef Fish
- lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) - Reef Fish
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- Velvet belly lantern shark (Etmopterus spinax) - Sharks & Rays
- Flathead Catshark (Apristurus laurussonii) - Sharks & Rays
- speckled sea-louse (Eurydice pulchra) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- lesser argentine (Argentina sphyraena) - Reef Fish