CARTHAGINIAN (POSSIBLY) - Scottish West Coast
Ah, the *Carthaginian* – or what we *think* is the *Carthaginian*. That’s part of the charm, isn't it? Dropping onto this deep wreck off the Scottish West Coast is an experience in itself. You're descending into that characteristic green gloom, the light fading fast, and then the massive silhouette of her hull begins to emerge from the murk at 54 metres. This is proper deep wreck diving, a commitment. The ship lies mostly on her starboard side, and the sheer scale of her, at nearly 120 metres long, is immense. We love working our way along the deck, picking out details – the enormous boilers are still very much in evidence, and you can practically feel the history here. It's a sombre, almost reverent dive. Visibility can be hit or miss, but on a good day, when the light penetrates just enough, the wreck becomes a cathedral of steel. You'll find plenty of inquisitive conger eels peering from every nook, and the walls are thick with colourful anemones, a vibrant contrast to the rusting steel. This site is for experienced technical divers, those who appreciate the challenge and the profound sense of history that comes with a dive this deep.
- Location
- Scottish West Coast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 55.448334, -7.401000
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 54m
Marine Protected Area: Magilligan Point
Nearby Dive Sites in Scottish West Coast
- ACCORD - 9m (wreck)
- ADONO - 10m (wreck)
- ADROLIS - 5m (wreck)
- AGATE - 10m (wreck)
- AGIOS MINAS - 10m (wreck)
- AKKA - 28m (wreck)
- ALBIA - 10m (wreck)
- ALEXANDER - 10m (wreck)
- AMY JANE - 52m (wreck)
- AMY (POSSIBLY) - 38m (wreck)
- ANGELA - 5m (wreck)
- ANNIE JANE - 29m (wreck)
- ANNIE MC FADYEN - 7m (wreck)
- ANNIE MELLING - 54m (wreck)
- ANWOTH - 0m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to CARTHAGINIAN (POSSIBLY)
- Aquaholics - ["PADI"]
- C&C MARINE SERVICES
- Eagle Divers NI - ["PADI"]
- Field Studies Council Millport
- Freedive Northern Ireland
- Fyne Diving - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Scottish West Coast
Home to 127 recorded species including 50 reef fish, 15 whales & dolphins, 10 seagrass & algae, 9 sharks & rays, 8 other, 7 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) - Sharks & Rays
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
- Light-bulb sea squirt (Clavelina lepadiformis)
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Star ascidian (Botryllus schlosseri)
- Common whelk (Buccinum undatum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs