wreck

Log This Dive

ALTAIR

The Altair, or what’s left of her, lies deep off the Cornish coast. We’ve always had a soft spot for deep, historical wrecks, and this old steamship, torpedoed in 1917, delivers a proper challenge. Dropping onto her deck at 52 metres, the sheer scale of the 79-metre hull becomes apparent, even if she’s broken in places. Visibility here can be tricky, often just a few metres, so a good light and excellent buoyancy are essential. What we love about the Altair is the raw history of it all. You can trace the lines of her two boilers, still largely intact, and imagine the compound expansion engine that once drove her single shaft. The metal work is draped in dead man’s fingers and bright orange cup corals, with conger eels peering from every crevice. Our favourite approach is a slow circumnavigation, taking in the bow and stern sections, then spending some time examining the engine room remains. It’s a dive for experienced deep divers, demanding careful planning and gas management, but the rewards are tangible – a quiet, powerful connection to a moment in time. Expect to share the space with inquisitive pollock and shoals of pouting darting through the superstructure.