ELNA E

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

South-West Approaches to Bristol Channel

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) - ELNA E 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 60m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Elna E is a big dive, no question. We’re talking 60 metres to the seabed, so this is very much for the experienced technical diver with the right training and gas. She went down in 1941 after hitting a mine near Crackington Haven, a steamship on a run from Cardiff to Plymouth. What we love about the Elna E is the sheer intactness of her. Sitting upright on the sand, her bow points west, and you can still make out the superstructure and bridge area quite clearly. It feels less like a broken wreck and more like a ship that just... stopped. Penetration is possible for those qualified, but even just exploring the exterior, you get a real sense of her scale. Look for the prop, often surrounded by conger eels, and the big, shadowy swim-throughs where the hold access used to be. The deep water keeps the light low, giving everything a wonderfully eerie blue cast, and we often find big schools of whiting flickering around the masts. Definitely our pick for a serious deep wreck in this corner of the UK.