JULIE PILE

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Braunton Burrows

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) - JULIE PILE 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 Julie Pile isn't about grand, intact structures. What you get here is a scatter of wreckage, a barge that broke up years ago, but it's exactly that fragmented nature that makes it interesting. We love the way the pieces of twisted metal and hull plating have become a series of little hideouts, forming an artificial reef in an otherwise open stretch of seabed. It’s an easy dive, often shallow, which means decent bottom times and the chance to really poke around. You’ll find plenty of crabs tucked into crevices, their claws waving tentatively as you pass, and there are always schools of pollack hanging out above the main debris field. We’ve even seen a few small conger eels slithering through the larger pipes and sections of hull. It’s not a dive for chasing big pelagics or intricate coral, but for anyone who enjoys exploring a wreck that’s been thoroughly reclaimed by the ocean, it’s a genuinely engaging spot. Head out on a calm day; the visibility improves significantly without any swell stirring things up.