Wreck of Seavar

Protected Area

Bridgend Flats, Islay

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) - Wreck of Seavar 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

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Seavar wreck isn’t your typical Caribbean sunshine dive, and we love it for that. This isn’t about big pelagics or vibrant corals; it’s about mood, history, and the sheer tenacity of life in colder waters. Dropping down, the visibility can be fickle, but when it’s good, the freighter rises out of the gloom like a ghost. Rusting steel frames the shot line, and you can almost hear the creak of the hull. Our favourite aspect is the way the wreck has been completely colonised by anenomes and dead man's fingers, a thick, colourful carpet contrasting with the dark metal. We’ve spent hours here, poking into cargo holds where juvenile pollack dart between the beams, or circling the prop, which is often draped in huge spider crabs. The challenge of the conditions just adds to the reward. It suits divers who appreciate a bit of character, a real sense of adventure, and who don’t mind a hood and dry gloves for an experience truly different from the tropics. Best to hit it on a slack tide, which keeps the silty bottom from being stirred up.