wreck

Log This Dive

LEON MARIE

For us, the Leon Marie offers a proper dive into maritime history, sitting upright at 33 metres off Lower Head. She’s a cutter, sunk back in 1873, and what you get now is a remarkably intact wooden hull, largely still holding its shape. We love tracing the lines of her deck, imagining her sails, and seeing how the sea has slowly reclaimed her. You'll find the wooden timbers draped in plumose anemones, their white tentacles swaying gently in the current, and often a few inquisitive conger eels peering out from gaps in the hull. Visibility here can be a bit of a lottery, as with many of our UK wrecks, but on a good day, when the sun filters down, it’s a genuinely atmospheric dive. We’d suggest timing your dive for slack water; the currents can pick up, making exploration trickier. It’s a dive for those who appreciate the quiet dignity of a wreck and the gradual reclamation by marine life, rather than high-speed drifts. She’s a beauty, truly.