HELENA FAULBAUMS

Protected Area

Firth of Lorn

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) - HELENA FAULBAUMS 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 · max 55m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The *Helena Faulbaums* is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to on the Scottish West Coast. It’s deep, around 55 metres, so definitely one for the experienced trimix divers. She’s a decent size, 85 metres long, and lies perfectly upright on a silty seabed, which is always a bonus. What we really love about the *Helena* is how intact she still is. You can drop down onto the stern, which has a nice intact prop, and then work your way forward. The visibility here can be superb on a good day, 20 metres isn't unheard of, and when it is, you get a real sense of her scale as she emerges from the gloom. We often find conger eels tucked into her holds, and the bridge area is usually swarming with juvenile saithe, flickering in the torchlight. Our favourite part is exploring the engine room, if you’ve got the skills and the gas, it's a fantastic penetration. You can still see the boilers and the triple-expansion engine, all heavily encrusted with dead man's fingers and anemones now. It’s a proper expedition dive, a real journey into maritime history, and a stark reminder of the wild nature of these waters.