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Wreck of Frederick Bartholdi

Diving the Frederick Bartholdi in Scapa Flow is less about the ship itself and more about the atmosphere. It’s not one of the big German battleships, but that’s precisely why we love it. This French cargo vessel, scuttled in 1919, lies in relatively shallower depths, making it more accessible when the weather kicks up or for divers looking for a longer bottom time. We usually drop onto the bow, often seeing some curious grey seals checking us out as we descend through the green light. The wreck is pretty broken up, but you can still make out the cargo holds, now home to ling and conger eels that peer out from the shadows. Our favourite part is exploring the propeller shaft tunnel – it's a tight squeeze in parts, but the sense of being inside the ship is palpable, and we often find enormous plumose anemones clinging to the bulkheads. Visibility can be a gamble here, anywhere from 5 to 15 metres, but even in murkier conditions, the ghostly outline of the steel structure against the green water is truly something. It’s an ideal dive for those who appreciate history and the slow reclamation of steel by the sea.