GIRL PAT

Protected Area

Douglas 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 - GIRL PAT 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 · max 27m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Girl Pat, for us, is one of those Northumberland wrecks that punches well above its weight. Sure, it’s not enormous, sitting at around 19 metres long and resting in 27 metres of water, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character. Sunk back in 1955, this former RAF target towing vessel is now gloriously broken up, scattered across the seabed like a forgotten toy box. We always find something new here. You’ll drop down onto a debris field, pieces of timber hull everywhere, and those twin oil engines are still quite prominent, sticking out amongst the wreckage. It’s a proper rummage dive, perfect for divers who love getting up close and personal with history rather than just circling a big superstructure. We often spot blennies peeking from crevices, and the sheer number of anenomes clinging to every surface is just fantastic – a riot of colour in the ambient light. Our favourite moment is finning through the propeller shafts, imagining the old girl in her prime. It’s a site that feels genuinely ancient, a real piece of diving archaeology.