wreck

Log This Dive

GERARDA

The Gerarda is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to, and it’s always a good call. Lying upright at 26 metres, she’s a proper steamship, still very much a ship rather than a debris field. You drop down onto the bow, often with pollock darting into view, and from there it’s a clear swim along the deck. Her single boiler is a real focal point, now a magnet for conger eels – we’ve seen some absolute monsters tucked away in there. We love the engine room for its sense of scale, and the way the light filters down through the superstructure, catching the clouds of jewel anemones that have colonised the plates. The visibility here can be superb on a slack tide, letting you appreciate the sheer length of the wreck, all 78 metres of her. Expect to see dogfish lurking in the shadows and plenty of wrasse picking their way through the growth. Our top tip? Get there on a neap tide for the calmest conditions; it really makes a difference.