wreck

Log This Dive

ECLIPSE (AND OTHER WRECKS)

The Eclipse, and the other scattered wrecks around it, feels like a proper piece of history right there on the seabed. We love it because it’s so accessible, sitting in just 9 metres, meaning you get a really good bottom time to explore. The main draw is the wooden steamship, Eclipse, which ran aground back in 1854. You can still make out the ribs of the hull, some decking, and the large boiler is a definite focal point, encrusted with dead man’s fingers that pulse softly in the gentle surge. It’s not a dramatic upright wreck, more of a sprawling debris field, but that’s its charm. We’ve spent hours poking around the smaller, unidentified bits of wreckage nearby, wondering about their stories. Look closely and you’ll find plenty of squat lobsters tucked into crevices, and often a grumpy conger eel peering out from under a plate. Visibility here can be a bit variable; we’d suggest going on a calm day with a rising tide for the best light and less suspended sediment. It’s ideal for newer wreck divers or photographers wanting to practice their skills in benign conditions.