wreck

Log This Dive

FOUR BROTHERS

The Four Brothers isn’t about depth, it’s about history and a surprising amount of life for a shallow wreck. Lying in a sheltered bay, the dumb barge went down in 1911 and has been slowly dissolving into the Northumberland seabed ever since. We love diving this wreck on a calm day, especially at high tide, when visibility can push past a few metres. You’ll find the wooden hull has largely disintegrated, leaving behind the frames and ribs, which now form perfect little habitats. It’s like an archaeological dig combined with a scavenger hunt. Look closely and you’ll spot velvet swimming crabs scuttling between timbers, blennies peeking out from beneath planks, and wrasse darting through the skeletal remains. Our favourite is exploring the bow and stern sections, where the wreck still holds a bit more shape. It’s a gentle dive, suited to anyone comfortable in cooler waters and keen on close-up investigation rather than big vistas. You won't be navigating massive structures, but rather a fascinating, broken-up landscape that changes subtly with the tides.