wreck

Log This Dive

Wreck of Mercator

The Mercator is pure Scapa Flow character, a trawler sitting upright on a sandy bottom, broken but still whole enough to give you a real sense of its past life. We love how the deck machinery is still so identifiable, the winches and davits almost ready for another day’s fishing. Swim through the holds, which are surprisingly open and easy to navigate even for less experienced wreck divers, or peek into the superstructure. It's a fantastic training ground for getting comfortable inside overhead environments. Look for the resident pollack and cod darting in and out of the shadows, and we often find various colourful anemones clinging to the plates, a nice splash of colour against the rusted steel. The visibility here can be decent, especially on a settled day. We’d suggest a dive with a good torch; it really brings out the textures and the life tucked into every corner. Mercator offers a classic Scapa dive without the depths or currents of some of the bigger blockships, making it a great option for a second dive or for newer wreck enthusiasts.