ADAMS BECK (PROBABLY) - Scottish East Coast & Borders
Adams Beck isn’t one of those wrecks that everyone talks about, which is exactly why we love it. Down at 52 metres, she’s a deep dive, a serious one, so this isn't for your casual reef hopper. When you descend, the dark green water opens up, and suddenly the sheer scale of this 96-meter steamship becomes clear. Bombed and sunk in 1941, she sits upright, remarkably intact for a wreck of her age and fate. Our favourite part is dropping into the holds, or peeking into the bridge structure, feeling the cold steel around you. Visibility here can be hit-or-miss, as with much of the East Coast, but on a good day, the light filtering through the gloom is something else. Look for the massive conger eels that have made the darker nooks their home, and the occasional wolf fish lurking in crevices. It's a deep, challenging dive that rewards exploration with a real sense of history and some truly impressive marine residents.
- Location
- Scottish East Coast & Borders, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 54.974537, -1.190342
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 52m
Wreck History - ADAMS BECK (PROBABLY)
- Year Sunk
- 1941
- Vessel Type
- steamship
- Cause
- bombing
A casualty of the Second World War, the vessel identified as the probable ADAMS BECK met a violent end on July 30, 1941. While navigating the waters off the Scottish East Coast, the 96-metre steamship was targeted by enemy aircraft. A successful bombing run sent the ship to the seabed, another victim of the relentless wartime conflict that plagued the British coastline.
Today, the wreck of the ADAMS BECK lies at a depth of 52 metres, placing it firmly in the realm of technical diving. Exploring this wartime relic requires advanced training, specialized equipment, and careful planning to manage the depth and potential for strong North Sea currents. For those qualified to make the descent, the wreck offers a compelling glimpse into history. Divers can expect to find a substantial structure, its form still recognizable despite decades of immersion, serving as a silent monument to its dramatic, fiery demise during one of history's greatest conflicts.
Marine Protected Area: Tynemouth to Seaton Sluice
Nearby Dive Sites in Scottish East Coast & Borders
- ABESSINIA - 2m (wreck)
- ACCLIVITY - 26m (wreck)
- ADORATION (POSSIBLY) - 52m (wreck)
- AEPOS - 60m (wreck)
- ALASKAN - 43m (wreck)
- ALBANO - 49m (wreck)
- ALERT - 42m (wreck)
- ALEXANDER - 2m (wreck)
- AMSTERDAM - 38m (wreck)
- ANGELA - 18m (wreck)
- ANLABY - 20m (wreck)
- ANNETTE MARY - 15m (wreck)
- ANN MODROS - 36m (wreck)
- ANU - 7m (wreck)
- ANU (PROBABLY) - 22m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to ADAMS BECK (PROBABLY)
- Aquanorth - ["PADI"]
- Aqua Purists
- Deep Blue Scuba - PADI
- Deep Sea World Aquarium - ["PADI"]
- Libertas Scuba Stirling
- Newcastle University Sub Aqua Society - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Scottish East Coast & Borders
Home to 126 recorded species including 53 reef fish, 12 whales & dolphins, 10 seagrass & algae, 10 sharks & rays, 9 crabs & lobsters, 8 other.
Notable Species
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- Common lobster (Homarus gammarus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) - Hard Corals
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
- butterfish (Pholis gunnellus) - Reef Fish
- grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) - Reef Fish