MERTHYR

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Great Tor (Three Cliff Bay)

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) - MERTHYR 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 MERTHYR, off the coast of Cornwall, is a cracking dive for anyone who appreciates a bit of history with their nitrogen narcosis. This steamship met its end in 1913, and what remains today is a surprisingly intact structure that feels more like a ghost ship than scattered debris. We love how the hull rises from the seabed, still offering proper penetration opportunities for those with the right training – think dark, echoing corridors where torches cut through the gloom, revealing the ship’s skeleton. Our favourite sections are the engine room, which still has some machinery recognisable, and the bow, often swarming with schools of pollack. The visibility here can vary wildly, as it often does in UK waters, so pick a calm day with a neap tide for the best chance of a clear run. When it’s good, the light filtering through the overhead structures is genuinely atmospheric, painting the interior with shifting patterns. Expect to share your dive with resident conger eels peeking from every crevice and the occasional lobster clambering over the plates. It’s a proper wreck diver’s wreck, less about blazing colours and more about exploration and a tangible connection to the past.