VESTRA - Scottish East Coast & Borders
The *Vestra* is one of those wrecks that just delivers. We find her at 38 metres, a steamship that went down with a coal cargo in 1917. She’s definitely for the experienced diver, someone comfortable with deeper dives and the sometimes-finicky conditions of the Scottish East Coast. Dropping down onto the *Vestra*, you’re met with a proper wreck, not just a pile of plates. The stern is our favourite part; the propeller lies off to one side, completely detached, a massive bronze disc in the gloom. The triple-expansion engine is still there, impressive in its scale, and you can poke around the single boiler. The cargo holds are full of coal, just as she sank, a dark, textural contrast to the encrusted metal. Visibility here can be a lottery, but on a good day, when the light penetrates, it’s magical. Dead man's fingers cover the bulkheads, and we’ve often seen wolf fish peeking out from dark corners, alongside ling and conger eels. It’s a real historical dive, a chance to connect with a moment in time, with enough structure and marine life to make every visit interesting. We always suggest timing your dive for slack water to avoid strong currents.
- Location
- Scottish East Coast & Borders, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 54.762900, -1.130249
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 38m
Marine Protected Area: Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast
Nearby Dive Sites in Scottish East Coast & Borders
- ABESSINIA - 2m (wreck)
- ACCLIVITY - 26m (wreck)
- ADAMS BECK (PROBABLY) - 52m (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)
Nearest Dive Centres to VESTRA
- 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