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PRINCESS ROYAL

The Princess Royal isn’t about huge depths or big pelagics. This is a shallow wreck, only three metres down, but don’t let that fool you. We’ve always been drawn to how history feels so close here. The steamship, built in 1841, ran aground in a fog back in 1856. You can still see significant sections of her hull and machinery spread across the rocky seabed. It’s a site that really comes alive on a sunny day with good visibility, when the light plays across the metalwork and the surrounding rocks. We love exploring the scattered ribs and plating, imagining the efforts to refloat her. Our favourite moments are often spent just hovering, watching the smaller stuff. It’s absolutely covered in plumose anemones, creating these soft, feathery white carpets everywhere. Look closer, and you'll find plenty of crabs tucked into crevices, and we’ve often spotted blennies darting between the rusty plates. It’s a calm, easy dive, perfect for photographers wanting to capture the intricate details of a historical wreck, or for anyone who enjoys a leisurely poke around a site with a real story to tell.