JOHANNA

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Brownsham

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) - JOHANNA 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

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Johanna, a carrier vessel lost off Hartland Point on New Year's Eve, 1982, offers a proper Cornish wreck dive when conditions align. She ran aground hard, 200 yards south of the point, breaking up over time. We've seen her in varying states, but there’s always something new exposed, a different way the light catches the twisted metal. Dropping down, you're looking at a vessel around 64 metres long. The stern section is often the most intact, with the bow more scattered. Our favourite moments here are when the vis pushes to 8-10 metres, allowing you to appreciate the scale of the holds, imagining her journey from Rotterdam to Barry. Ling often peek out from under plates, and the resident conger eels are truly impressive, thick as your thigh. Sometimes, if you catch the dive just right, the kelp fronds sway in rhythm with the surge, creating an eerie, almost cathedral-like feel over the deeper, more broken sections. This site is definitely one for the experienced UK diver, comfortable with a bit of swell and the unique challenges of the Bristol Channel. Pick a slack tide; it makes all the difference.