Wreck of Leo - Scottish West Coast
The Wreck of Leo, off the Scottish West Coast, is one of those dives that feels genuinely remote, a proper adventure. We always aim for a slack tide here, otherwise, the surge can make for a rather bumpy ride on the surface, and frankly, exploring the wreck becomes a chore. Descending onto the Leo is like stepping back in time; the metal plates are draped in long fronds of kelp that sway with the current, creating a dramatic, almost ghostly entrance. It’s an older wreck, broken but still substantial, with the bow and stern sections offering good penetration for those with the right training and gear. Our favourite part is the engine room, which is surprisingly intact, a tangle of machinery and pipes now completely encrusted with dead man's fingers and colourful anemones. Look closely, and you’ll often spot massive conger eels peering out from gaps in the plating, their thick bodies camouflaged against the dark metal. The ambient light filtering through the kelp forest above gives everything a greenish, ethereal glow, and you can hear the creaks and groans of the wreck settling into the seabed around you. This dive suits experienced cold-water wreck enthusiasts who appreciate the raw, wild beauty of a site that’s been reclaimed by the sea.
- Location
- Scottish West Coast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 55.528275, -5.495615
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Drumadoon - Tormore
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 Wreck of Leo
- 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