Wreck of Victoire

Protected Area

Corsewall Point to Milleur Point

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 Victoire 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

Okay, so the Victoire. She’s a proper old-school wreck, a French trawler that went down way back in 1918 off St. Mary's Island. Don't expect some perfectly intact ghost ship here; she's broken up quite a bit, but that's precisely what we love about her. It means you get these fantastic, jumbled sections of hull and deck plating, creating a maze of nooks and crannies. Dropping down, the first thing that hits you is the sheer scale of the scrap metal, all encrusted with plumose anemones and dead man’s fingers. Visibility can swing dramatically, as it often does in the North Sea, but on a good day, you can really make out the ship’s ribs and structure. Look closely among the wreckage, and you'll spot lobsters eyeing you from their hidey-holes, butterfish darting between the plates, and often enough, a grumpy-looking conger eel tucked into a pipe. We always find the stern section the most interesting, with its more defined shape. It’s a dive that rewards slow exploration and a keen eye, perfect for wreck enthusiasts who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of current.