PONTET CANET

Best months: Jul–Sep

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) - PONTET CANET 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 54m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Pontet Canet is deep, proper deep, sitting at 54 metres, but for those with the training, it’s a brilliant dive. This steamship, torpedoed in 1918 by a German U-boat, feels like a real journey back in time. You drop down onto a dark, silty seabed, and the wreck slowly emerges, surprisingly intact for its age. We love how the bow points defiantly into the current, and you can still make out the cargo holds, sometimes with bits of her original load still nestled inside. Visibility here can be a bit of a gamble, often around 5-10 metres on a good day, but that just adds to the atmosphere. It’s definitely one for advanced technical divers, requiring careful planning and gas management. As you explore, expect to find big conger eels poking out from plates and walls, and sometimes even the odd curious anglerfish settled on the deck. Our favourite spot is usually around the stern, where the prop shaft is often visible, hinting at the ship's powerful past. Be mindful of strong currents; slack water is your friend here. This isn't a beginner's site, but it rewards experience with a profound sense of history.