NELLIE WOOD

Protected Area

Kilkeel Steps

Why dive here

With 118+ marine species recorded in the area - including dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales, ocean sunfish (mola mola) and orcas - NELLIE WOOD offers some of Northumberland & Northeast's richest wreck diving.

Marine lifeDolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales, Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) and Orcas · 118+ species recorded

CharacterWreck dive · max 38m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Nellie Wood isn't one of those wrecks that’ll slap you in the face with a grand bow or stern. Instead, she’s a trawler, a working boat, now a broken scattering across a flat seabed at 38 metres. What we love about her is the journey through the debris. You start at the boilers, often the highest point, then navigate through twisted metal frames and plating, imagining the decks and wheelhouse above you. Visibility here can be a bit of a lottery, typical for the North East, but when it’s good, the structure is alive with life. Conger eels are the main residents, tucked into every crevice, sometimes surprisingly large. You’ll also find plenty of crabs, lobsters, and often a decent number of squat lobsters clinging to the shadowy undersides of plates. It's a dive that rewards careful exploration, slowly picking your way through the wreckage, rather than a quick swim around. Our top tip: bring a good torch and take your time. This isn't a site for the inexperienced, given the depth and potential for current, but for those comfortable with deeper wreck diving, the Nellie Wood offers a genuinely engaging exploration of a working vessel's final resting place.