Wreck of Nelly

Protected Area

Torrs to Mason's Walk

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 Nelly 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 Wreck of Nelly, off the Northumberland coast, is one of those sites that just gets under your skin. We often find ourselves drawn back, especially on days when the visibility opens up to a decent ten metres. She's a trawler, nothing grand, but she sits upright and proud on the seabed, around 20 metres down, making her really approachable for most divers comfortable in temperate waters. What we love most is the way the wreck itself has become a home. Her wheelhouse is gone, stripped away by time and tides, but her bow and stern are still intact, draped in dead man's fingers and feather stars. You can follow the length of her deck, often with schools of coalfish darting through the superstructure, or peek into the open holds where conger eels sometimes eye you suspiciously from the shadows. The light filtering down, even on a grey day, gives the whole scene a moody, atmospheric feel. We always recommend trying to hit this one on a slack tide; the currents here can pick up, making for a much more challenging dive if you misjudge it. It’s a proper dive into history, and a chance to see how quickly the sea reclaims its own.