wreck

Log This Dive

BELLUCIA

The Bellucia, torpedoed in 1917, is a proper wreck dive, sitting upright and surprisingly intact at 12 metres. It’s an ideal depth for extended bottom times, letting you properly take in the scale of the 117-metre steamship. We love how the bow points directly into the current, often making the forward sections the best place to find shelter and watch the fish. You can trace the deck from bow to stern, spotting the two massive boilers standing proud amidships. The triple expansion engine is a tangle of machinery, now home to plump conger eels. Look closely and you’ll find scorpionfish tucked into crevices and plumose anemones waving like furry fingers in the gentle surge. Our favourite part is exploring the intact holds, often filled with schools of juvenile pollock swirling in the dim light. It’s a dive for those who appreciate history and the slow, inexorable reclamation by the sea. Just be mindful of fishing line, particularly around the mast sections, and always bring a good torch – even at 12 metres, the British light can be deceiving.