COSSACK

Protected Area

South-East Islay Skerries

Why dive here

With 112+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue whales, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - COSSACK offers some of Scottish West Coast's richest wreck diving.

Marine lifeBlue Whales, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 112+ species recorded

CharacterWreck dive

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Cossack is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to on the Scottish West Coast. She’s small, only about 20 metres long, but what she lacks in size she makes up for in character. Sunk in 1923, she’s been down there long enough for the sea to really start reclaiming her. We find her at relatively shallow depths, meaning you can get a good, long poke around without rushing a deco stop. Drop down and you're immediately struck by how intact the hull remains, considering her age. Her single boiler is prominent, a big, round sentinel covered in anemones and dead man's fingers. Our favourite part is nosing around the engine room, where the compound expansion engine is still recognisable. Ling often hide in the darker recesses, and we’ve seen some surprisingly large velvet swimming crabs scuttling across the plates. The visibility here can be excellent on a calm day, giving you that classic Scottish green glow. It’s a great site for photographers who enjoy the moody atmosphere of an old steamer, and for wreck divers who appreciate a relatively complete, historical structure over just a debris field.