HMS Charybdis

Best months: Jul–Sep

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) - HMS Charybdis 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 25-40m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The HMS Charybdis is a monster of a wreck, a Dido-class cruiser sunk in 1943 off the coast of Lyme Bay. We love it because it’s not just a collection of twisted metal; it’s still very much a ship, albeit one that’s been on the seabed for eighty years. Descending through that deep green water, the sheer scale starts to emerge, a vast silhouette taking shape. You’ll find the bridge structure still largely intact, allowing for some incredible swim-throughs if you’ve got the right training and a good guide. Our favourite part has to be the stern, where the gun turrets still point defiantly skyward, now encrusted with plumose anemones that pulse gently in the current. Look closely amongst the soft corals and you’ll spot conger eels, huge ones, peering out from every nook and cranny, along with the usual cast of wrasse and blennies. It’s a proper expedition dive, definitely for experienced cold-water wreckies comfortable with deeper profiles and potentially strong currents. We’d suggest diving this one on a slack tide for the best chance to really appreciate the scale without battling the flow. It’s a humbling, almost eerie dive, a real piece of history colonised by the sea.