Wreck of Whirlwind

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 Whirlwind 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 Whirlwind, off the Northumberland coast, isn’t about big pelagics or technicolour reefs. It’s about history, about exploring a broken ship in a properly moody British sea. We love it because it feels like a real dive, a proper expedition into the past. You’ll drop onto a spread of wreckage, the remains of an old trawler, scattered across a flat seabed. It’s not one intact hull, more a debris field, but that’s precisely its charm. There’s enough structure, plates, and ribs to make sense of, especially the engine block which stands proud. This is where we often find the best residents: hefty conger eels coiled in the pipework, their heads peeking out with an ancient, knowing look. Lobsters poke feelers from under steel plates, and tiny crabs scuttle across the encrusted metal. Visibility can be a gamble here, typical for the North Sea. On a good day, you might get 10 metres, enough to appreciate the scale and the way the light filters through the green water. On a less good day, it’s a more intimate, touch-and-go experience, but that just adds to the adventure. It’s a site for those who enjoy a bit of a challenge, who appreciate the quiet drama of a wreck dive over vibrant showiness. Bring a good torch, go slow, and let the history wash over you.