Wreck of Merganser - Scottish West Coast
The Wreck of the Merganser, sitting off Scotland’s west coast, isn't about tropical fish or gin-clear visibility. This is proper temperate wreck diving, a deep dive into maritime history and a surprisingly lively ecosystem. We love it because it’s a genuine challenge, a test of your skills in conditions that can be moody, but deliver huge rewards. What you'll find is a cargo ship, surprisingly intact in places, draped in kelp and anemones. We've spent dives just trying to get a sense of its scale, navigating the bow section, the broken midships, and the stern, where you can often spot conger eels peering from dark corners. It’s a site that rewards patience, allowing you to discover details in the hull plates or the remnants of deck machinery, all encrusted with dense carpets of plumose anemones. Our favourite moments are usually in the slight overhangs, tucked out of any current, watching the light filter through the kelp canopy above, painting the wreck in shifting greens and browns. It’s not a site for beginners; you’ll want solid buoyancy and a good understanding of cold water diving. But for those ready for it, the Merganser offers a truly immersive dive into the past.
- Location
- Scottish West Coast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 56.420980, -5.655504
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura
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 Merganser
- 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