PRESERVER

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Arfordir Penrhyn Angle / Angle Peninsula Coast

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) - PRESERVER 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 15m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Preserver is a moody dive, perfect for those days when you just want to potter about a solid wreck without battling big currents or depths. We love that it’s sitting upright in a modest 15 meters of water, so even if you’re newer to wreck diving, you get a proper sense of its structure. She was a salvage vessel, sunk by a German parachute mine in 1940, and you can still see that hardy working boat character about her. Drop down and you’re immediately into the wreck. The main boiler is a real focal point, surrounded by schools of pouting, and often a grumpy-looking conger eel eyeing you from a pipe. We’ve found the stern section particularly interesting, with some of the steering gear still recognisable. It’s a great site for photographers too, especially on a sunny day when the light filters through the superstructure, illuminating the anemones and dead man's fingers that carpet the metal. Visibility can be a typical UK affair, but on a good day, you’ll get 10-12 metres, which is plenty for exploring. Best dived around slack water, obviously. Keep an eye out for dogfish tucked into the sand nearby.