Discover Cornwall’s seven best wreck dives: depths, hazards, tide windows, GPS pins, history, gear tips and a live map.
Quick-facts table
| # | Wreck (year lost) | Seabed depth (m)¹ | Key hazards | GPS (WGS84) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HMS Scylla (2004) | 24 – 27 | Interior entanglement, spring-tide current | 50° 19.640 N 04° 14.116 W |
| 2 | SS James Eagan Layne (1945) | 12 – 24 | Collapsed plates, silt-out | 50° 19.602 N 04° 14.714 W |
| 3 | SS Rosehill (1917) | 28 – 32 | Poor viz, shot can miss on springs | 50° 19.576 N 04° 14.680 W |
| 4 | SS Persier (1945) | 25 – 30 | Long swell, scattered debris | 50° 17.180 N 03° 59.900 W |
| 5 | SS Mohegan (1898) | 19 – 25 | Surge in SW swell, sharp girders | 50° 04.100 N 05° 04.700 W |
| 6 | SS Volnay (1917) | 15 – 22 | Silty sand, leftover cordite | 50° 04.320 N 05° 16.620 W |
| 7 | SV Hera (1914) | 15 – 18 | Surge, scattered timbers | 50° 12.550 N 04° 57.150 W |
¹To seabed on neap tides; check local almanac before diving.
1 HMS Scylla — Whitsand Bay (24–27 m)
Scuttled in 2004, the 113 m Leander-class frigate became Europe’s first purpose-sunk artificial reef. Jewel anemones now carpet her rails, and pollack patrol the companionways. A fixed shot drops onto the bridge at 24 m; a clockwise swim keeps the hull to your right so you surface up-current of the wreck. Best slack is ±60 min of low-water Plymouth. Plymouth Sound DiversWikipediaScylla Site
Hazards & kit: Interior wiring and collapsed decks mean real entanglement risk—carry a Z-knife and two torches. Nitrox 28 % maximises NDL.
2 SS James Eagan Layne — Whitsand Bay (12–24 m)
Cornwall’s most-dived wreck is a 135 m Liberty ship torpedoed in 1945. Enormous holds open at 16 m let Advanced Open-Water divers practise wreck-course swim-throughs while still within daylight. Drop amidships, descend between Nos. 2 & 3 holds, then exit via the starboard breech. Big shoals of pout hang off the bow in gentle current. shipsproject.orgDivernet
Slack window: ±45 min of low-water Plymouth; negligible current otherwise.
Internal pro-tip: Want to know how sonar revealed her break-points? See How Wrecks Are Located: Sonar & ROVs.
3 SS Rosehill — Whitsand Bay (28–32 m)
A steel collier sunk by UB-40 in 1917, Rosehill rests on her starboard side; twin boilers stand 4 m proud and host pink sea-fans. Viz is often milky—shoot an echo-sounder to drop the shot straight on the boilers. Recommended mix: Nitrox 32 % + redundant gas. Wikipediaplymouthdivingcentre.co.ukDivernet
Must-see: The intact prop and rudder at the stern (29 m).
4 SS Persier — Bigbury Bay (25–30 m)
Torpedoed in 1945, Persier sprawls 140 m; the stern still rises 6 m off the 29 m seabed. Highlights include a contorted steering quadrant and a cast-iron bathtub tucked beneath the rudder-shaft. Swell funnels in from the SW: dive only on neap high-water slack. Divernetplymouthdivingcentre.co.uk
Navigation: Plant the shot on the quadrant, then sweep port for the engine room before returning along the port rail.
5 SS Mohegan — The Manacles (19–25 m)
The “Titanic of Cornwall” struck The Manacles reef in 1898, killing 106. Hull frames form a photogenic grid at 22 m, festooned with jewel anemones. Surge can be fierce on a SW swell; keep neutral and avoid the reef’s up-draft. WikipediaThe Sun
Topside add-on: Walk to St Keverne churchyard to see the mass grave of Mohegan victims.
6 SS Volnay — Gunwalloe (15–22 m)
A Defensively Armed Merchant Ship mined in 1917 while laden with ammunition. Wooden ammo crates still dot the site; traces of cordite and lead shot remain in the silt, so look, don’t touch. The wreck is well broken but boiler swim-throughs at 18 m make a fun circuit. FacebookDivernetsubmerged.co.uk
Hazard: Fine sand silts easily—keep fin-kicks high to preserve viz for your buddy.
7 SV Hera — Gull Rock, Veryan (15–18 m)
This four-masted German barque sank in a storm in 1914. Bowsprit timbers lie on a white-sand seabed at 16 m, home to octopus and tompot blennies. Surge builds fast in westerly swell—time the drop on the last 20 min before low-water Falmouth. Divernet
Photographer’s tip: Use a 10-14 mm lens and natural light; beams and purple kelp provide perfect framing.
Trip-planning & safety
- Tides & slack: Cornwall wrecks are uncompromising—download free EasyTide PDFs for Plymouth & Falmouth, or add the Totnes BSAC slack-water table to your phone. Totnes Sub-Aqua Club
- Permits: None are Protected Wrecks, but lifting artefacts triggers UK salvage law—see Salvage Law 101.
- Gases: 32 % Nitrox keeps Rosehill & Persier within no-stop; air is fine for Hera & Volnay.
- Surface cover: Mobile signal fades west of the Lizard—carry a PLB or AIS-MOB.
- Seasonality:
- Apr–Jun: Plankton = reduced viz, but plankton feeders (pollack, john dory) abound.
- Jul–Sep: Peak viz 8–12 m; warmest 16 °C water.
- Oct–Dec: Flattest seas, short daylight, brief slack windows.
Gear & charter cheat-sheet
| Need | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Charter | Atlantic Scuba (Falmouth) • InDive Plymouth (Whitsand/Bay) |
| Torch | 1,500 lm primary + 600 lm backup for Penetrations |
| DSMB | Mandatory; coastguard expects orange or yellow 1.2 m SMB |
| Cutting tool | Z-knife for Scylla interior & fishing line on Rosehill |
| Camera rig | Action cam + red filter for ≤ 20 m; twin-strobe mirrorless for Rosehill / Persier |
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References & further reading
- Plymouth Sound Divers. “HMS Scylla Dive Briefing.” Plymouth Sound Divers
- The SHIPS Project. “James Eagan Layne: Location & Surveys.” shipsproject.org
- Divernet Magazine. “Wreck Tour 96: SS Rosehill.” Divernet
- Divernet Magazine. “Wreck Tour 52: The Persier.” Divernet
- Historic England Conservation Bulletin 56 – “HMS Scylla Artificial Reef Project.” Historic England
- Totnes BSAC. “Site Positions, Depths & Slack Water Times.” Totnes Sub-Aqua Club
- Divernet Magazine. “Wreck Tour 24: SS Volnay.” Divernet
(All coordinates WGS 84; last tide-table check 18 July 2025.)
Updated 18 July 2025
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