wreck

Log This Dive

YELLOWSTONE

Yellowstone isn't your typical Azores dive. Forget deep volcanic walls for a minute; this is a big, shallow wreck with a real story. Built in 1918, this steamship ended up dragging anchors and being blown ashore in Ponta Delgada Harbour just two years later. You’re diving history, barely five metres down. We love it because it’s so accessible, yet feels like a proper wreck dive. Because it’s so shallow, you get incredible light, playing through the skeletal remains of the hull. You can swim right over the massive metal beams and plating, imagining the ship in its prime. This isn't a penetration dive, but there are plenty of nooks and crannies to peer into. Schools of damselfish shimmer around the rusted structures, and we’ve often spotted large parrotfish grazing on algae that’s taken hold. Our favourite is spotting the octopus tucked away in a shadowed corner, blending perfectly until it decides to move. It’s a completely different vibe to the offshore pinnacles, and a great way to spend an afternoon after a morning of deeper diving, especially if you want a long bottom time to just explore and photograph. Visibility can vary, but generally, inside the harbour, it’s decent enough to appreciate the scale.