wreck

Log This Dive

HARTLEY (POSSIBLY)

The Hartley, or what we believe is the Hartley, offers a proper deep wreck dive off the Devon coast. Dropping to 36m, you’re hitting the thermocline and often encountering a greenish gloom, but that's part of its charm. This steamship, sunk in 1924, is largely intact and sitting upright, a rare treat in these waters. We love the way the twin boilers loom out of the murk, massive cylinders encrusted with dead man's fingers and anemones. The triple expansion engine is a fantastic exploration, its components still recognisable, home to conger eels that peer from every nook and cranny. You’ll weave through cargo holds where schools of bib swarm, their silver scales catching the limited light. Our favourite part has to be the stern, where the prop shaft stretches out, a clear sign of the ship’s purpose. It’s a dive for those comfortable with depth and reduced visibility, but the rewards are substantial: a true historical artefact colonised by some impressive marine life.