wreck

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HMS GENTIAN

The HMS Gentian, a sloop sunk by a mine in 1919, is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to off the Baltic Coast. She sits upright at 50 metres, and the depth means it’s a site best suited for experienced technical divers. We love the sheer scale of her – 81 metres long, stretching out into the gloom. Dropping down, the bow comes into view first, rising out of the seabed like a dark island. You can still see the mounts for her two 4.7-inch guns, even though the guns themselves are gone. Penetration is possible, though we’d always recommend proper training and equipment; the engine room, with its triple-expansion engines, is a particularly atmospheric dive, the machinery still largely intact. Schools of cod often patrol the deck, and you’ll spot lumpsuckers clinging to the superstructure. The visibility here can be excellent, particularly outside of summer, making the sheer size of the Gentian truly impressive as she slowly reveals herself on descent. It’s a proper piece of history, just waiting to be explored.