wreck

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MAGICIAN

The Magician is one of our favourites in Scapa Flow, probably because it’s a bit of an underdog. Not part of the scuttled German fleet, this steamship went down after hitting a mine in 1944. She sits upright, largely intact, with her bow in shallower water – you can easily spend an hour just exploring that section. Drop down and you're immediately hit by the scale of her. Her cargo holds are open, inviting exploration, and we’ve spent many dives finning through, torch beams cutting through the green light. Look for the massive triple-expansion engine and the twin boilers, still impressive after all these years. There are usually plenty of squat lobsters tucked into every crevice, and plumose anemones coat the darker sections. It’s a proper expedition dive, a real sense of journeying through a sunken world. We’d suggest saving this one for a day with good visibility, perhaps on an incoming tide when the water can be a bit clearer. She’s a great wreck for divers who love penetration but also offers plenty of interesting external features if going inside isn't your thing.