PALLION (PROBABLY)

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Lundy

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) - PALLION (PROBABLY) 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 · max 56m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Pallion, probably. That ‘probably’ in the name tells you a lot about diving the UK’s deeper wrecks – a bit of mystery, a fair amount of detective work, and the reward of finding something truly special. We love this site not just for the wreck itself, but for the story it tells. Sunk in 1873 due to a broken prop shaft, a mundane mechanical failure ending a journey from Cardiff to Suez with a load of coal. At 56 metres, this is a serious dive, best suited for experienced technical divers. We’ve always found the visibility here to be surprisingly good on a calm day, often a rich, emerald green that glows with torchlight. Dropping down, the structure emerges from the gloom, its 70-metre length slowly revealing itself. The two massive boilers are a particular favourite, standing proud amidst the collapsed hull, now completely colonised by plumose anemones and dead man’s fingers. Look closely in the nooks and crannies for conger eels, their heads peeking out, and we’ve often spotted lobsters tucked into crevices. The Pallion offers a real sense of history, a quiet, deep resting place for a working ship, now a vibrant artificial reef far from the shipping lanes.