wreck

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HAILEYBURY

Haileybury, now there’s a proper dive. We’ve spent a few hours on this wreck over the years, and it always delivers. It’s a big steamship, sunk way back in 1918, lying upright and mostly intact on a seabed of 43 metres. Drop down the shot line and you’ll often feel a slight shudder as you pass through the thermocline, then the gloom opens up to reveal the stern, usually the first part to appear. Our favourite is exploring the two massive boilers, still sitting proud midships, encrusted with dead man's fingers and anemones. You’ll find conger eels tucked into every crevice, sometimes a wolf-fish peeking out from under a plate. The bow section is pretty impressive too, pointing into the current, often with shoals of cod hanging in the slight shelter it creates. This dive is best for experienced wreck divers who are comfortable with the depth and potential for low visibility; when the tide turns, things can get murky quickly, but on a good day, the Haileybury is a North Sea classic.