MINSK - Scapa Flow, Orkney
The *Minsk* sits upright at 50 metres, a substantial, if less visited, Scapa Flow wreck. We’re talking about a steamship here, built in 1911, torpedoed in 1940. It’s a proper expedition dive, often requiring calm conditions to make the most of the bottom time. The sheer scale of the hull is impressive, and down there, you’ll find plenty of plumose anemones, their white tentacles swaying gently in the gloom. Visibility can be decent on a good day, but this is cold water diving, so plan your gas carefully and bring a good torch to pick out the details of its triple expansion engine. It’s a dive for those with solid experience, ready for a deeper, darker exploration away from the more famous German fleet.
- Location
- Scapa Flow, Orkney, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 58.116337, -2.651613
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 50m
Marine Protected Area: East Caithness Cliffs
Best Time to Dive in Scapa Flow, Orkney
The warmest water temperatures in Scapa Flow, Orkney occur in January, averaging 8.4°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 8.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 8.4°C (air: 5.5°C)
- February: 8.4°C (air: 5.3°C)
- March: 8.4°C (air: 5.9°C)
- April: 8.4°C (air: 6.8°C)
- May: 8.4°C (air: 9.7°C)
- June: 8.4°C (air: 12.4°C)
- July: 8.4°C (air: 13.2°C)
- August: 8.4°C (air: 13.7°C)
- September: 8.4°C (air: 12.7°C)
- October: 8.4°C (air: 10.2°C)
- November: 8.4°C (air: 8.0°C)
- December: 8.4°C (air: 5.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Scapa Flow, Orkney
- 090 - 26m (wreck)
- AASE - 60m (wreck)
- ABERDEEN CITY - 5m (wreck)
- AC6 - 5m (wreck)
- ACHILLES - 32m (wreck)
- ACTIVE - 42m (wreck)
- Aith Baa (reef)
- ALABAMA - 12m (wreck)
- ALCORA (POSSIBLY) - 40m (wreck)
- ALMERIA - 5m (wreck)
- ANDALINA - 8m (wreck)
- ANDRIAS - 27m (wreck)
- ANVERS - 52m (wreck)
- AORANGI - 5m (wreck)
- ARCADIA - 30m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to MINSK
Marine Life in Scapa Flow, Orkney
Home to 155 recorded species including 63 reef fish, 17 whales & dolphins, 12 sharks & rays, 11 crabs & lobsters, 11 other, 10 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) - Reef Fish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) - Reef Fish
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) - Reef Fish
- lesser argentine (Argentina sphyraena) - Reef Fish
- white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Soldier (Chelidonichthys cuculus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for MINSK
Based on average water temperature of 8.4°C.
- Drysuit - water at 8°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
- Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories