HECKLER
Protected Area
Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast
Why dive here
With 118+ marine species recorded in the area - including dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales, ocean sunfish (mola mola) and orcas - HECKLER offers some of Northumberland & Northeast's richest wreck diving.
We've spent a fair few hours finning around the Heckler and it’s always a proper North Sea adventure. This isn't a deep dive, sitting at just 4 metres, making it perfect for newer divers looking for a genuine wreck experience without the nitrogen narcosis. The Heckler was a merchant vessel that met an untimely end and now lies well broken up, but still very much a wreck, not just a pile of rubble. You’ll find ribs and plating spread across a surprisingly large area, creating all sorts of nooks and crannies for life to hide in. The real joy here is the sheer amount of local colour. Our favourite spots are the sheltered sections of hull, where you can often spot lobsters waving their antennae from tight crevices, and the dense clumps of plumose anemones, which sway gently in the surge, looking like fluffy white flowers. We've seen some impressively large crabs here too, scuttling amongst the metalwork. Dive it on a calm day, ideally around slack water, and you get decent visibility – enough to really appreciate the scale of the wreckage. It’s a truly atmospheric dive, even in its shallowness.
Typical HECKLER Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Nearest Dive Centres to HECKLER
Dive shops near HECKLER
Denney Diving
Durham University Sub Aqua Society
Scuba Diver Training Ltd
Reviews for HECKLER
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