Cog on the BritanniaPhoto: Mike Clark Wreckage on BritanniaPhoto: MC Britannia's boilerPhoto: MC Sunstar Photo: MC

For me, a day's diving at the Farne Islands has it all. The setting is exquisite, the diving is varied and exciting, and there is always a good chance of an encounter with a grey seal. But don't think that the diving is just about seals - there are more than 80 wrecks in the area, many of which sit near stunning gullies covered with marine life. Even better, is the fact that you can dive two of the most exciting scenic wreck dives in one day.

THE ABYSSINIA

At 5,753 tonnes and 137m in length, the Abyssinia is said to be the largest ship wrecked in the Farnes. Built in 1900 by Palmers & Co at Newcastle, she was a steamship under German ownership. On 3 September 1921 her hull hit the Knivestone and was ripped open. The wreckage now lies strewn over the western side of the Knivestone reef - the most seaward rocks of the Farne Isles. This wreck, however, is only one interesting feature on what is a majestic reef. I found this site to be one of the most scenic I have ever dived - add to that a fantastic wreck and for me you are close to paradise.

The dive
55º 39. 054' N
001º 36. 138' W

Lying in 10m of water, on a ledge just below the kelp line, the propeller is a good place to start this dive. As I descended, I was temporarily distracted by the sighting of a grey seal. The propeller is large, with four blades and completely covered with pink, encrusting growth. Nudibranchs, butterfish and sea scorpions are all in residence and it's an excellent site for macro photographers. Further down the slope at 15m, the engine block and crankshafts can be seen, along with other sizeable pieces of wreckage. I stopped to photograph one of the colourful ballan wrasse that frequent this part of the wreck. The fish was positioned nicely in my viewfinder when, in a flash, it disappeared and a black shadow passed over my head - the second grey seal of the dive.

The trail of debris continues down the slope to a depth of 24m, where two of the ship's boilers can be found. Make sure you check them out, as there is often a conger, cod or ballan wrasse in residence. Dead men's fingers cover most of the wreck, giving it an orange-and-white colour that looks stunning against the green water backdrop. Moving back up the slope, I investigated the area around the engine block more thoroughly and noted a large brass nut shining in my torch light. Its gleaming surface had obviously been polished frequently by the gloved hands of visiting divers.

While the wreck is fantastic in its own right, the scenic marine life that covers the gullies of the Knivestone make this dive extra special. As you ascend the slope back to the propeller, fin to your left and you soon enter a gully, its wall rising up 10m above you on both sides. Velvet-backed swimming crabs abound and dead men's fingers cover every centimetre of wall. Large dahlia anemones sprout from the scraps of wreckage that cover the gully floor, along with big sunstars. The tide picks up as you fin along here, as the gully is only 3m wide. At this point in the dive, plumose anemones replace the dead men's fingers, as high-energy organisms take over in the ever-increasing tide. This was where I was buzzed by seal number three.

I have never made it to the end of the gully yet - the tide has always been too strong. I generally reverse my route and ascend at the propeller, hugging the cliff and deploying my delayed SMB as a safeguard against the large number of vessels overhead.



THE BRITANNIA

The Britannia, a 64m-long steamship of 740 tonnes, was steaming north from Newcastle to the port of Leith on 25 September 1915 with a general cargo. It was to be a homecoming as the vessel was built in Leith. However, events conspired against the Britannia - the night was pitch-black, there was a thick North Sea fog and a wartime blackout had quenched the light of the Crumstone lighthouse. Given the conditions, it's no surprise that the Britannia hit the Crumstone Rock. Thankfully, though, the sea was calm and the first officer made his way to Seahouses to raise the alarm. At first light, the crew was lifted off the wreck by a fishing boat. The calm weather did not last long and the Britannia soon broke her back and slipped off the rock, now resting down the slope to a depth of 26m.

The dive
55º 37. 621' N
001º 36. 304' W

The Britannia's bow is the most intact area of the wreck and a good position for the shot. Here, an 8m section of the bow is covered with a blaze of orange-and-white dead men's fingers. The deck is still intact, but the bow can easily be entered for an exciting swim-through. Aft from here the wreck is completely broken, but there are large identifiable objects along the way. I took my time here and had a look under some of the ship's plates. I was rewarded with the sight of a sizeable ling and a large cod darting through the wreckage. Look carefully, as the wreckage is covered with dead men's fingers and hawse pipes, and an anchor and a winch can also be seen here.

The slope up the Crumstone now becomes steeper and you can see a section of intact wooden deck. From here, a larger object appears out of the gloom, which ultimately reveals itself to be the power plant to a deck crane. Slightly shallower and to the right of this structure, I noted two large circular millstones around 2m in diameter. The gradient of the slope becomes even steeper and you can't see any more wreckage until you reach a plateau at 10m. A boiler sits upright, with an interesting gully behind it. There is also a smaller gully further to the right, where you can find the ship's propeller and other wreckage.

Fin up the larger, more interesting, gully where the sea bed is covered with wreckage and you'll find another boiler. Behind this is the engine block, which is far more substantial than the one further down the slope. From here a section of prop shaft leads to the right-hand side of the gully. If you follow this through the kelp, it will bring you to the other gully with the propeller in it, mentioned earlier.

However, a better option is to fin further up the large gully. Initially I thought it narrowed so much that I would not be able fit through. Upon getting closer, it became clear that the base of the gully was wider than I'd thought, allowing a diver to squeeze through. It is a very scenic spot, where nudibranchs and anemones decorate the wall.

Once through the narrow section, the gully opens out a bit and leads you to the other side of the Crumstone. It was here that a seal dropped down into the gully to check me out. I sat in the kelp for a while but only had one more brief encounter before it darted off into the blue.

Contacts

Farne Diving 01665 720615
email: leehalldiving1@aol.com
website: http://www.farnedivingservices.co.uk

Farne Island Diving Charters 0191 297 0914
website: http://www.farne-islands-diving.com

Farne Islands 01665 721297
email: diver@farne-islands.com
website: http://www.farne-islands.co.uk

Sovereign Diving 01665 720059
email: sovereigndiving1@msn.com
website: http://www.sovereigndiving.co.uk