wreck

Log This Dive

KILCOAN

Kilcoan sits out in the often-chilly North Sea, a real classic of a wreck dive off the Northumberland coast. We love a good piece of history down deep, and this one has a story: a steamship captured and scuttled by a German U-boat in 1915. It’s not a huge wreck, about 50 metres long, but what’s left is surprisingly intact in parts. You’ll find the bow and stern sections reasonably defined, with the midships more broken. The real draw here for us is the atmosphere and the life. Even on a grey day, descending onto her is exciting. The wreck is heavily colonised by plumose anemones, their white tentacles swaying in the current, sometimes so thick they completely obscure the metalwork. Ling, conger eels, and often some decent-sized pollack lurk in the deeper sections and around the collapsed holds. We’d suggest a strong torch is essential, not just for looking into shadows but for picking out the vibrant colours of the anemones and the occasional nudibranch. Current can be a factor, so pick your slack water window carefully. It’s a dive best suited for experienced cold-water divers comfortable with deeper wrecks and potentially lower visibility.