BEREBY

Protected Area

Killough Bay

Why dive here

With 118+ marine species recorded in the area - including dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales, ocean sunfish (mola mola) and orcas - BEREBY offers some of Northumberland & Northeast's richest wreck diving.

Marine lifeDolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales, Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) and Orcas · 118+ species recorded

CharacterWreck dive

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Bereby. Now here’s a wreck we keep coming back to off the Northumberland coast. It's a huge cargo steamer, all 122 metres of her, sitting upright and largely intact. Dropping down, you’re greeted by the sheer scale of it, and it feels like diving through a ghost ship, especially when the visibility is good enough to make out her entire silhouette. We love exploring the huge engine room, a cathedral of twisted metal, and the prop shaft tunnel is always a favourite swim-through. The Bereby has been down since 1941, plenty of time for life to really take hold. You’ll find walls of plumose anemones, their frilly white tentacles swaying in the gentle surge, and plenty of ling peeking out from darker corners. It’s a proper expedition dive, a real journey of discovery for anyone who appreciates a well-preserved piece of maritime history. Just keep an eye on the tides, as currents can pick up.

Safety Notes

Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.

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BEREBY Wreck History

Year Sunk

1941

Vessel Type

cargo ship

Cause

mine

Tonnage

5,130 GRT

The SS Bereby was a steamship built in 1919, a veteran of the inter-war years. Owned by the well-known Elder Dempster Lines, she was powered by a triple-expansion engine built by Richardsons, Westgarth & Co. By the time of the Second World War, she was an essential part of the merchant fleet, braving the dangerous waters of the Atlantic and North Sea to keep Britain supplied.

On September 24, 1941, her service came to a sudden and violent end. While on passage, the Bereby struck a mine laid by German forces off the coast of Northumberland. The explosion was catastrophic, sinking the vessel and tragically claiming the lives of 25 of her crew. She now rests on the seabed as a designated war grave and a somber memorial to those who perished in the Battle of the Atlantic.

The wreck of the Bereby lies at 0 meters, meaning it is an intertidal wreck, often exposed at low tide. This makes it a unique and accessible site, visible even from the shore under the right conditions. For divers, it's a very shallow exploration of a significant piece of WWII history. The wreckage is heavily broken up due to the explosion and decades of sea action, but the boilers and engine block are often identifiable, providing a focal point for a dive that serves as a poignant reminder of the perils faced by the Merchant Navy.