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SMS Cöln

The SMS Cöln offers a proper Scapa Flow experience. We’ve always found this light cruiser surprisingly intact, considering the scuttling. She lies on her starboard side, and when the visibility is good, you can make out the whole profile – a dark, hulking shape against the gloom. Our favourite part is dropping into the midship area, where the deck has collapsed inwards. You’re finning through twisted metal, with schools of coalfish darting between the girders. Look closely, and you’ll spot plenty of scorpionfish tucked into crevices and those big, fuzzy tube anemones blooming from the rust. The bow section, with its torpedo tubes, is a highlight, and you can often feel the slight surge of the flow here, a reminder of the powerful tides outside. This is a dive for those who appreciate history and the slow reclamation of steel by the sea. It’s not about vibrant corals, obviously, but the sheer scale and the sense of diving into a moment of history is what makes it special. We’d suggest timing your dive for slack water; the currents here can be tricky, pulling you around the superstructure if you’re not careful.