LADY IRENE OF MENAI - Northumberland & Northeast

The Lady Irene of Menai isn't your typical grand wreck dive, but we love it for its quiet, unassuming character. Sitting shallow at 15 metres, it’s a site often overlooked, but if you catch it on a calm day, it offers a surprisingly poignant dive. The cabin cruiser, which went down after a collision in 1975, is now well broken up across the seabed, scattered in a way that feels less like a single vessel and more like a debris field slowly being reclaimed. Our favourite part is poking through the twisted metal and planks, imagining the small boat it once was. You'll find plenty of small crabs scuttling amongst the wreckage, and sometimes a curious pollock will eye you from a dark recess. The bits of hull and engine are encrusted with anemones and soft corals, a testament to how quickly the sea adopts what falls into it. It’s a dive for those who appreciate the history and the quiet drama of a forgotten vessel, rather than grand intact structures. We'd suggest pairing it with another local dive, as it’s a relatively short exploration, but definitely worth dropping in on if conditions are favourable.

Location

Northumberland & Northeast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe

Coordinates

53.400260, -3.001349

Type

wreck

Maximum Depth

15m

Marine Protected Area: Mersey Narrows