DAGENHAM

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Gouliot Caves and Headland, Sark

Why dive here

With 176+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - DAGENHAM offers some of Cornwall & Devon's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 10-18°C, warmest July, August, September.

Best timeJul–Sep

WetsuitA 5mm wetsuit

Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 176+ species recorded

Water10-18°C · warmest July, August, September

CharacterWreck dive · max 27m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Dagenham, oh, she’s a beauty, a proper old girl lying at 27 metres off the Cornish coast. We love this wreck not just for her history, having gone down in 1909, but for how she’s settled into the seabed. She’s quite broken up, but that just means more nooks and crannies to poke your head into. You’ll find sections of hull plating standing proud, creating little canyons for you to navigate, and the skeletal ribs of her engine room are always a favourite spot of ours. The real draw here, beyond the steel itself, is the life she supports. We’ve seen conger eels that look like they’ve been living in her for decades, their heads poking out from under plates, sizing you up. The metalwork is encrusted with plumose anemones, their white tentacles swaying gently in the surge, and the schools of pollack often swirl around the higher parts of the wreck, catching the light. It's an excellent dive for those who appreciate the slower pace of wreck exploration, taking your time to imagine the ship’s past while admiring its present as a thriving artificial reef. Keep an eye on the current here; it can pick up, so time your dive for slack water to truly enjoy the experience.