Elise Schulte (Beautiful Elise)

Photo: Espen Rekdal Photo: Espen Rekdal Photo: Espen Rekdal

Elise Schulte (Beautiful Elise)
Depth: 8–40m
Position: Finnlandsneset in Dyrøysundet – under bridge

Mystery surrounds the sinking of the Elise on 10 January 1942. She supposedly hit an uncharted reef, but some reports claim that the Norwegian crew – who were under German command at the time – deliberately ran the vessel aground to spite their invaders. Whatever the intent, the Elise was grounded on the reef with serious damage to the hull. The Germans managed to salvage much of the cargo, but the ship sank at 7am the next morning.

A salvage vessel arrived just in time to see Elise drop below the surface, and a naval diver confirmed the ship was lying at 40m, with a 50-degree list to port. A few years after the war, the bridge and propeller were removed and the rest of the wreck was forgotten… until scuba diving took off in Norway.

Elise is a classic dive. The stern lies on the bottom at 38–40m, with the slope of the reef running perpendicular to the wreck. The wreck is balanced on the ridge with the bow raised off the sea bed altogether. It’s a magnificent sight, and the shallowest part of the intact bow rises to within 8m of the surface, making for an easy multi-level dive.

At the stern, you will find an anti-aircraft gun and oak steering wheel, both of which are covered with orange, white and green sea anemones. The railings and protruding buildings also have huge amounts of invertebrate life on them – a signature feature of Norway’s super-rich waters. Swimming towards the bow, you can peer down through the skylights and check out the machinery. It’s tempting to try to penetrate the wreck here, but I’d recommend strongly against it, as the overlying structure seems quite unstable.

Elise is one of those wrecks that please everyone. If you’re not into deep diving, there’s plenty to explore down to 20m. All divers should be aware that there is usually some tidal current running though. It’s always manageable, though it can be a bit of a pain if you’re trying to manoeuvre with lots of camera gear. Above all, diving this wreck is about scale and dimensions – if you visit in early spring or late autumn, the water will be exceptionally clear, with visibility sometimes reaching the fabled 50m mark!