wreck

Log This Dive

MADELINE

The *Madeline* is a big ol' cargo vessel, 95 meters of history resting in 35m of water off Pendeen. We love this wreck not just for its story, sunk by a U-boat in 1918, but for how it feels when you drop down onto it. The sheer scale is impressive; the bow rises up from the seabed, and you can trace the line of the deck all the way back to the stern. It's properly broken up in parts, especially midships, where the torpedo hit, leaving a jumble of twisted metal that creates great little hidey-holes for conger eels – we’ve seen some absolute monsters lurking in the shadowed compartments. Our favourite part is exploring the intact sections of the holds, where you can still make out the remnants of its cargo days. Visibility here can be a bit hit or miss, typical for the UK, but when it’s good, the light filtering down through the superstructure is beautiful, illuminating the jewel anemones that have colonised every surface. It’s a good one for advanced divers who appreciate a substantial wreck and don’t mind a bit of a current. Look out for huge shoals of pouting hanging around the masts and plenty of wrasse darting through the debris.