Wreck of Dorothea

Protected Area

Allonby Bay Highly Protected Marine Area

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 Dorothea 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 Dorothea, off the Northumberland coast, is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to. She’s not some pristine, upright ghost ship, but a proper working wreck, broken up yet full of character. You drop down onto a scattering of boiler sections, propeller blades, and hull plates, all beautifully encrusted with dead man's fingers and anemones. We love how the light filters through the green water here, casting moving shadows across the twisted metal. It feels like you’re exploring a forgotten industrial graveyard. Navigation is straightforward – just follow the debris field. Look closely and you’ll spot velvet swimming crabs scuttling amongst the plates, and often a grumpy wolfish peering out from a dark crevice. The current can pick up, especially around the exposed sections, so we’d suggest timing your dive for slack water. That way you can really take your time, poke around the nooks, and enjoy the quiet solitude of it all. It’s a dive for those who appreciate history and the way the sea reclaims its own, rather than big pelagics.