DAKOTA - Northumberland & Northeast
The Dakota wreck, off the Northumberland coast, is a proper North Sea adventure, not a gentle drift. We’re talking about the remains of a 121-meter steamship, broken up over a century ago, scattered across the seabed in about 10 meters of water. It’s a site for those who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of a rumble. You often drop onto sections of plating, ribs, and machinery, all well-colonised by local life. Visibility here is a roll of the dice; on a good day, you might get 5 meters, on a typical day, it’s more like 2 or 3. That low visibility, though, really enhances the sense of exploration. You’re often poking around sections of the hull, feeling for the shape of a boiler or propeller shaft in the gloom. Lobsters tuck into every crevice, big edible crabs scuttle across the metalwork, and cod often lurk in the deeper shadows beneath the larger plates. It’s an atmospheric dive, a real taste of what British wreck diving is all about, and our pick for a day when the sea is calm and you’re after a genuine exploration. Just be prepared for the chill; this isn't the Med.
- Location
- Northumberland & Northeast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 53.419987, -4.340735
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 10m
Marine Protected Area: North Anglesey Coast
Nearby Dive Sites in Northumberland & Northeast
- AARLA - 35m (wreck)
- ABBOTSFORD - 7m (wreck)
- ABYDOS - 8m (wreck)
- ACACIA - 11m (wreck)
- ACTION - 0m (wreck)
- ADC 527 - 60m (wreck)
- ADC 527 - 50m (wreck)
- ADC 527 (POSSIBLY) - 37m (wreck)
- ADGILLUS - 36m (wreck)
- AFTON - 22m (wreck)
- AFTON - 0m (wreck)
- AILSA - 1m (wreck)
- ALARM - 27m (wreck)
- ALASTOR - 13m (wreck)
- ALBANIAN - 35m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to DAKOTA
- Above & Below Dive Centre - ["PADI"]
- Academy Divers - ["PADI"]
- Aqua Adventurers Scuba Diving
- Aqualogistics
- Aquaventurers - ["PADI"]
- Barracuda Scuba Ltd
Marine Life in Northumberland & Northeast
Home to 132 recorded species including 53 reef fish, 15 whales & dolphins, 11 sharks & rays, 10 other, 10 seagrass & algae, 9 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common lobster (Homarus gammarus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) - Hard Corals
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
- butterfish (Pholis gunnellus) - Reef Fish
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters