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MERSEY NO 24

The Mersey No. 24 is one of those wrecks that just keeps giving, especially if you like a bit of history with your diving. This old steam dredger, sunk back in 1956, lies upright and relatively intact at 17 metres, making it a cracking dive for pretty much any qualified diver when conditions are good. We love drifting along the deck, peeking into the holds where you can often spot conger eels tucked away, or a fat lobster waving a claw from a dark corner. What really makes the Mersey special for us is its industrial character. You can still make out the massive dredging buckets strewn around, now completely covered in plumose anemones and dead man’s fingers. The wheelhouse is a jumble of twisted metal, but it’s amazing how much of the original structure remains, now home to clouds of juvenile pollack and shoals of wrasse. Keep an eye out for nudibranchs, too; the current brings plenty of food, and they flourish on the encrusting life. It’s a proper historical dive, a chance to touch a bit of maritime past, and it’s always buzzing with life.