P5059 WHITLEY BOMBER - Scottish West Coast
The Whitley Bomber, lying in just 11 metres, is a proper slice of history you can reach without pushing deco limits. We’ve always had a soft spot for aircraft wrecks, and this one, surprisingly intact for its age, is a favourite. You’ll find the main fuselage relatively broken, but the wings, engines, and tail section are remarkably preserved. It feels like stepping back into a moment in time, especially when you consider its wartime fate. Visibility here on the Scottish West Coast can be variable, but on a good day, the light plays beautifully through the skeletal remains of the airframe. Look closely and you’ll spot plumose anemones clinging to the metalwork, their white tentacles swaying gently. Crabs scuttle from under panels, and we’ve often seen small shoals of pollack darting through the gaps where the fuselage has opened up. It's a poignant dive, yes, but also a vibrant little ecosystem now. Our advice? Go in late spring or early autumn for the best chance of settled weather and clearer water. It’s a great dive for anyone with an interest in wartime history or just a desire to explore something a bit different.
- Location
- Scottish West Coast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 55.177500, -6.807500
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 11m
Marine Protected Area: Portstewart Strand
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 P5059 WHITLEY BOMBER
- 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