Wreck of Countryman

Protected Area

Shoulder o' Craig

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 Countryman 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

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Countryman wreck in Northumberland. Ah, now that’s a dive we always enjoy. It sits a bit deeper, around 30 metres, which often helps with visibility, though it’s still the North Sea, so manage those expectations. What we love about her is how intact she remains. You can still make out the bow, the stern, and parts of the superstructure, giving it a real sense of its past as a steam trawler that hit a mine in 1917. Dropping down, you’ll often find yourself in a world of greens and blues, with light filtering through the water. We’ve seen conger eels poking their heads from pipes, their eyes following you. Ballan wrasse are always around, darting in and out of the metal plates, and sometimes you get lucky with a curious grey seal passing through. The wreck is quite spread out in places, a testament to the explosion, but it’s still very much a wreck dive, not just debris. Our favourite part has to be exploring the engine room area, where the metalwork is beautifully encrusted with anemones and dead man’s fingers. This isn’t a dive for beginners; those depths and the potential for current mean you need good buoyancy and cold water experience.