wreck

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HMS NORTHCOATES

The HMS Northcoates, a former trawler, lies at 26 metres, an accessible depth for many divers and a firm favourite for us when we’re in Cornwall. This isn't one of those wrecks where you’re just looking at a pile of scrap metal. She’s surprisingly intact, with a character all her own. You can still make out the superstructure, the bow pointing into the current, and sections of the deck, giving you a real sense of her former life as a minesweeper. We love finning along her length, imagining the cold December night she went down in 1944. There's a certain stillness here, a quiet power. What really makes her special, though, is how marine life has embraced her. Lobsters peer out from cracks in the metal, their antennae waving. We often spot conger eels in the deeper sections, thick as your arm, and the entire wreck is carpeted in jewel anemones, creating these incredible bursts of orange, pink, and purple against the dark steel. It’s a great dive for experienced wreck divers looking for a slice of history and some vibrant temperate water marine life. Visibility can be a bit variable, but when it’s good, the Northcoates truly shines.