wreck

Log This Dive

MINERVA (PROBABLY)

The Minerva, or at least what we’re pretty sure is the Minerva, sits in 43 metres off the Lizard, a proper deep dive for those comfortable with the colder, darker UK conditions. She went down in 1917, torpedoed on a trip from Caen to Swansea, and now she’s a scattered but really interesting wreck. We love the way the two boilers still stand proud, giving you a real sense of her scale, even with the rest of the hull broken up around them. Dropping down, the visibility can be variable here, but on a good day, the light filtering through the green water makes for some moody exploration. You’ll find plenty of conger eels making their homes in the twisted plates and pipes, and jewel anemones splash colour across the darker metal. Our favourite part is nosing around the debris field, where you often spot lobsters tucked into crevices. It’s a dive for experienced wreck enthusiasts who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of a current. We’d suggest timing your dive for slack water to really get the most out of exploring the structure.