Wreck of Ballarat

Protected Area

Grennan Bay

Why dive here

With 118+ marine species recorded in the area - including dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales, ocean sunfish (mola mola) and orcas - Wreck of Ballarat 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 15-30m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Wreck of Ballarat. Now this is a dive we always enjoy up in the often-overlooked Northumberland. It’s a proper freighter, sitting upright, with a good chunk of it still intact. We love how the bow points north, holding its shape, and those massive boilers are always a highlight. You can follow the deck line, imagining the ship in its working days, before the U-boat got it in 1917. What really makes Ballarat special is the sheer volume of fish. Ling are everywhere, often tucked into the deeper sections, and we’ve had some fantastic encounters with lobsters and crabs here, too. The wreck’s structure creates so many nooks and crannies for them. While the visibility can be typical UK North Sea, when it’s good, it’s really good, letting you appreciate the scale. We’d suggest timing your dive for slack water; the currents can pick up, making it a bit more of a workout than necessary. It’s a great dive for anyone comfortable with deeper wrecks and keen to explore a piece of history that’s become a thriving artificial reef.