Wreck of Llama

Protected Area

Salt Pans 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 Llama 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 Llama, she’s a proper North Sea wreck, lying broken in about 30 metres off the Northumberland coast. We love her because she’s not one of those intact, upright ships; she’s a glorious mess of twisted metal and collapsed holds, which, for us, makes for far more interesting exploring. You’ll weave through ribs and plating, finding swim-throughs that open into unexpected spaces, always keeping an eye out for the big ling that lurk in the gloom. The vis can be temperamental up here, but when it’s good, the light shafts through the broken deck plating, illuminating enormous shoals of coalfish that shimmer like liquid silver. Our favourite part has to be the stern section, where the prop shaft leads into an engine room still recognisable despite the decay. It’s a dive for those who appreciate the raw power of the ocean claiming its own, and who don’t mind a bit of a current. Best tackled on a neap tide, we’d suggest, to really enjoy the penetration.