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EMPIRE BAY

We always come back to Empire Bay, a proper piece of history resting just off the Northumberland coast. It's a fantastic dive, especially if you love a bit of structure and atmosphere. Dropping onto her, you immediately feel the scale of this steamship, sunk back in '42. The bow section is our favourite part, just bursting with nooks and crannies. You can swim through some of the cargo holds, imagining the goods she once carried, and the twin boilers really stand out, looming large in the low visibility. Visibility can be a real North Sea lottery, but when it’s good, say 5-8 metres, the Empire Bay absolutely shines. Even on an average day, the sheer density of life clinging to the metal is impressive. Crabs scuttle from every dark corner, plump lobsters peek from beneath plates, and we’ve seen some seriously large cod cruising the deck. It’s a site that tells a story, a poignant reminder of wartime losses, but now a thriving ecosystem. We'd suggest this one for advanced open water divers comfortable with low visibility and a bit of current; it’s not particularly deep at 14 metres, but you need to be mindful of entanglement and the occasional surge.