wreck

Log This Dive

HMS CORIENTES (POSSIBLY)

Diving the HMS Corientes, or what we strongly suspect is her, off the Scottish West Coast is a proper adventure. Dropping onto her at 31 metres, you feel that immediate hush that only a deep wreck can give. She's a trawler, sunk by a mine in 1917, and the history just seeps from the plates. We love exploring the stern, where the triple-expansion engine still dominates. You can almost picture it chugging along. The real draw here, for us, is how the wreck has become a living reef. Ling lurk in the shadowed holds, their white bellies visible against the dark metal. Dead man's fingers cover the bulkheads, adding splashes of orange and white to the grey steel. We always find conger eels peering from every nook and cranny. Keep an eye out for dogfish resting on the seabed nearby, too. This site is definitely one for the experienced wreck diver who appreciates a bit of history and the hardy life of the Scottish deep. Be ready for cool water and generally moderate visibility, though we’ve had some cracking days with 10 metres.