GEORGIOS MARKETTOS

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Castlemartin Coast

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) - GEORGIOS MARKETTOS 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 54m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The *Georgios Markettos* is a proper piece of maritime history, sitting upright and largely intact at 54 metres. We love an expedition to a deep wreck, and this one really delivers for technical divers. Dropping down, you’ll first see the massive triple-expansion engine, standing proud, with the twin boilers nearby, often shrouded in a hazy cloud of small shoaling fish – pollack and coalfish mainly. What really gets us about the *Georgios Markettos* is the scale. She’s an 88-meter steamship, and you can still trace her lines, from the bow to the stern. Headlamps cut through the ambient gloom, illuminating cold water corals, sea fans, and anemones that cling to every surface. The bridge section is largely gone, but you can explore the holds, where sometimes conger eels lurk in the shadows, and the occasional lobster peeks out from under a plating. It’s a serious dive, so good gas planning and solid deep diving experience are essential. We find that picking a day with minimal surface swell makes the deco much more pleasant.