wreck

Log This Dive

MURIEL

The MURIEL. Now, there’s a wreck with a story, even amongst Scapa’s giants. Lying at 46 meters, she’s a steamship torpedoed by UC-58 in 1918, sinking in a frantic 12 minutes with a cargo of coal. When we drop down, the first thing you notice is how intact she is, despite the violent end. Her bow points purposefully, and the holds are still stuffed with coal, glistening black in your torch beam. We love the dramatic scale of her, the way the light filters down through the Orkney green, painting the structure in muted tones. Look closely, and you’ll spot plumose anemones clinging to every surface, their tentacles swaying gently in the slight current, and often a fat ling or two peering out from a shadowed corner. Our favourite part is exploring the engine room, a real maze of collapsing machinery that gives you a sense of the chaos as she went down. This dive is definitely for experienced cold-water wreck enthusiasts; the depth and potential for low visibility mean you need to be comfortable in overhead environments. Go on a slack tide for the best chance to really soak it all in.