wreck

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EDWARD BONAVENTURA

Okay, so the Edward Bonaventura. Right, this one’s a bit different for Scapa Flow, because we're talking serious history, not just the WWI fleet. It’s an older wreck, a 16th-century sailing vessel, and while the official data lists its depth as 0m, that’s because it’s a site of historical importance, not a dive site in the traditional sense you might swim around. What we mean is, you’re not really diving the Bonaventura. It was lost way back in 1553, returning from a Russian expedition, and its remains are scattered. This isn't a penetration dive, or even a visible hull. Instead, we’re talking about an archaeological site, where bits and pieces have been found over the years. If you’re visiting Scapa Flow, you’re coming for the German High Seas Fleet, the battleships and cruisers that are still largely intact. The Bonaventura is more about the story, the incredible journey it made, and the raw power of the North Sea that claimed it. Our pick for a true Scapa dive is always the SMS Brummer or the Konig, where you can actually descend into history. The Bonaventura is best appreciated from dry land, reading about its epic, ill-fated voyage.