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Wreck of SMS Cöln

The SMS Cöln is one of Scapa Flow's treasures, especially if you love a good story with your wreck dive. She lies on her starboard side, relatively intact, a German light cruiser scuttled in 1919. We always dive her when the light is decent, usually around slack water, because then you can really appreciate her scale. Drop down her bow and you’re immediately enveloped by the gloom, which quickly gives way to the stern, about 30 metres deep. There’s something eerie about seeing the massive gun turrets still in place, even after all these years. Our favourite part is navigating through the superstructure, where schools of cod drift in and out of the shadows. Keep an eye out for the jewel anemones, they add splashes of colour to the monochrome steel. Visibility can be a challenge, sure, but when it’s good, the Cöln offers a haunting glimpse into history, colonised by the sea. It's a dive for those who appreciate the weight of history as much as the dance of marine life.