wreck

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NELLIE ESPLIN

The Nellie Esplin is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to off the Northumberland coast. It’s a 30-meter fishing trawler, not huge, but perfectly formed, sitting upright in about 25 meters. Sunk back in 1924, she's seen her fair share of North Sea weather, but a lot of her structure is still there, making for some excellent exploration. We love dropping onto her bow, often finding the anchor chain still draped over the side, an immediate sense of history as you descend. Her wooden decking is long gone, of course, but the ribs of the hull are still very much present, acting like little apartment blocks for crabs and lobsters. Our favourite part is the engine room, which is fairly open and usually swarming with cod and pollock. You'll often see them hanging in the gloom, barely moving as you glide past. Visibility can be a bit hit-or-miss here, typical for the North Sea, but even on a murkier day, the wreck stands out, a dark shape rising from the silty seabed. We'd suggest timing your dive for slack water; the currents here can pick up, making it a bit of a workout otherwise. It’s a great dive for anyone comfortable with cold water and deeper wrecks, offering a genuine feel for a working vessel lost to the sea.