EMPRESS - Cornwall & Devon
The Empress, a barge lost in 1923, sits in just 7 metres of water, making it a great, accessible dive. We like it as a shallow introduction to wreck diving, particularly if you’re still building confidence or just want a relaxed potter. The wreck itself is quite broken up now, scattered across the seabed, but you can still pick out sections of hull plating and various bits of machinery. Keep an eye out for conger eels tucked into the crevices and plenty of wrasse darting amongst the twisted metal. It’s a good spot for an hour underwater, easily combined with a second dive nearby.
- Location
- Cornwall & Devon, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 49.731500, -2.185111
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 7m
Marine Protected Area: Gouliot Caves and Headland, Sark
Best Time to Dive in Cornwall & Devon
The warmest water temperatures in Cornwall & Devon occur in January, averaging 9.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 9.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 9.6°C (air: 7.3°C)
- February: 9.6°C (air: 8.4°C)
- March: 9.6°C (air: 8.6°C)
- April: 9.6°C (air: 10.1°C)
- May: 9.6°C (air: 12.6°C)
- June: 9.6°C (air: 15.2°C)
- July: 9.6°C (air: 16.6°C)
- August: 9.6°C (air: 17.1°C)
- September: 9.6°C (air: 15.9°C)
- October: 9.6°C (air: 13.5°C)
- November: 9.6°C (air: 10.7°C)
- December: 9.6°C (air: 8.7°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Cornwall & Devon
- 12 - 49m (wreck)
- 20 - 5m (wreck)
- A2 - 1m (wreck)
- AALESUND (POSSIBLY) - 37m (wreck)
- ABRAHAM COVE - 56m (wreck)
- ACADIAN - 34m (wreck)
- ACADIAN - 38m (wreck)
- ACHIEVEMENT - 6m (wreck)
- ACTIVE - 27m (wreck)
- ADA - 40m (wreck)
- ADA MARY - 2m (wreck)
- ADDAX - 52m (wreck)
- ADOLF VINNEN - 1m (wreck)
- ADON - 0m (wreck)
- ADUR II - 11m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to EMPRESS
- Abyss Scuba School - ["PADI"]
- Andark Diving - ["PADI"]
- Aquanaut Scuba & Snorkelling Centre Ltd - ["PADI"]
- Berkshire Divecrew Training 2012 Ltd. - ["PADI"]
- Bouley Bay Dive Centre
- Celtic Deep
Marine Life in Cornwall & Devon
Home to 192 recorded species including 93 reef fish, 18 sharks & rays, 13 whales & dolphins, 11 crabs & lobsters, 11 other, 10 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) - Reef Fish
- Common Seal (Phoca vitulina) - Whales & Dolphins
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- Soldier (Chelidonichthys cuculus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) - Octopus & Squid
- Bastard Sole (Microchirus variegatus) - Reef Fish
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- solenette (Buglossidium luteum) - Reef Fish
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- Scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna) - Reef Fish
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Angler (Lophius piscatorius) - Reef Fish
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
Recommended Packing List for EMPRESS
Based on average water temperature of 9.6°C.
- Drysuit - water at 10°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
- Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories