EXUBERENT

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

South of Portland

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) - EXUBERENT 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 40m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Exuberent, a fishing vessel that went down in 1983, isn’t huge at just under 10 metres, but it offers a genuinely engaging dive. We’ve always appreciated a wreck you can properly get a feel for, and this one, sitting at 40 metres, delivers. You’ll find her upright, fairly intact, with a lovely list to starboard, which always adds a bit of drama. We often spend a good portion of the dive just finning around the wheelhouse, imagining the last moments, before dropping down to peer into the deck fittings. What really makes the Exuberent special, though, is the sheer density of life that has claimed her. Spider crabs are a given, clambering over every surface, but we’ve also had fantastic encounters with conger eels here, tucked deep into the darker recesses. Look closely at the hull and deck plating for nudibranchs, particularly around the bow. The visibility can be variable, as with much of the UK, but on a good day, the green light filtering down really highlights the contrast between the dark metal and the pale anemones. It’s a rewarding dive for those comfortable at depth and keen on exploring a smaller, characterful wreck rather than just another heap of metal.