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NIELS JOHN (FD278)

The Niels John is one of those wrecks that just keeps delivering, even if she sits a little deep at 34 metres. We think she’s a standout for a reason, a proper fishing vessel, sunk back in ‘77, now completely colonised by the North Sea. Drop down onto her and you’ll find an intact, characterful wreck, listing slightly to starboard, the rigging long gone but the general shape still very much that of a trawler. Our favourite part is poking around the wheelhouse area, often a good spot to find a wolfish or a decent-sized cod lurking in the shadows. We’ve also had some fantastic encounters with lobsters and edible crabs tucked into crevices along the hull. The sheer amount of anemones and dead man’s fingers coating every surface is impressive, transforming the metalwork into a tapestry of life. We’d suggest diving this one on a slack tide, particularly if you want to explore the deck structures properly without fighting a push. It’s a dive for those who appreciate history and the slow reclamation by the sea, a genuinely engaging wreck dive in the Northeast.