Farne Islands wrecks

Even when the humble British diver is blessed with a blue sky and a flat sea, it doesn’t guarantee that conditions are going to be as friendly underwater. The sun may well be shining as the boat glides out onto a silk-smooth sea, but you drop below the surface to be greeted by pea soup: a seasonal plankton bloom. Then, at 10m – just to add insult to injury – somebody turns off the light; it just can’t penetrate the blanket of plankton, so no matter how good the weather, the viz is going to be terrible.

I’ve had my share of such ‘deceptively bad’ diving days, but rarely the reverse. But that’s the thing about British diving – it never loses its ability to surprise you. It was the third and, ‘due to inclement weather conditions’, final day of our diving trip to the Farne Islands. I have always found it odd that even though divers spend a fair amount of their leisure time submerged in water, our spirits are all too easily dampened by a gentle sprinkle of the stuff while we’re topside. We just don’t like getting wet when we’re not diving! So it was a sad and soggy-looking bunch that huddled together on the deck of Sovereign II as it headed out of Seahouses on the Northumberland coast that day.

The bumpy ride out to the Farnes did begin to make us wonder whether the level of discomfort was going to be worthwhile. On the previous few days, the visibility had not been brilliant. That said, we were determined to make the best of it, as a band of low pressure was on its way, most likely making this our last day of diving.

Our skipper, Andy Douglas, found a relatively sheltered spot just off the Crumstone, where we were hoping to check out an unidentified wreck. So we set about kitting up as quickly as possible – being at 17m on a wreck would be infinitely preferable to being tossed around the dive deck in the wind, rain and swell. Just below the surface, the water was full of tiny bubbles, as if we had dived into a bottle of lemonade. But as we dropped down below the kelp line, the visibility cleared and walls of jewel anemones and dead men’s fingers came into focus. Once on the gravel bottom at 17m, we were blessed with the best visibility that I have ever seen at the Farnes. It was so still and calm – a complete contrast to conditions on the boat. We had been dropped directly onto the wreckage, which looked beautiful under the pale green light, completely colonised by sponges, corals and anemones.

The Farnes lie in the North Sea, between two and four miles off the Northumberland coast between Seahouses and Bamburgh. They are the most easterly outcrops of the Great Whin Sill, a line of volcanic rock that stretches across Northumberland upon which part of Hadrian’s Wall was built. In the distant past, the islands were home to monks, sailors and lighthouse keepers. Today, they are owned by the National Trust and provide an important roost for colonies of nesting birds including terns and puffins.

Among divers, the Farnes are known principally for their colony of grey seals, which have a knack of grabbing all the glory. However, the reefs in this part of the UK are replete with fascinating creatures, and they deserve more attention. The reef tops are covered with kelp forests that give way to walls of sponges and corals, interspersed by urchins and anemones. These walls make excellent hiding places for a variety of crustaceans and small fish. Then there are the wrecks – quite broken up, but eminently diveable, with many features still intact and recognisable. Here, then, are my recommendations for an enjoyable wet weekend in the Farnes… with or without the sunshine.

SS Coryton
Maximum depth: 9m

An ideal shallow wreck for novice divers or as a second dive of the day, the Coryton is close to the shore south of Holy Island and north of Bamburgh Castle. At high tide, the wreckage lies in 9m of water, but at low tide it can be as shallow as 5m – watch out for the boiler just below the surface. The Coryton had left the North Atlantic to join a North Sea convoy heading towards Hull when she was attacked and machine-gunned by German bombers on 16 February 1941. The ship was badly damaged during the onslaught and the captain grounded her at Ross Sands. The local lifeboat rescued all the crew, with the exception of the captain who chose to stay on board. The weather deteriorated and the ship broke up before he could be rescued. His body was found the next day wearing two lifejackets.

I found plenty of recognisable wreckage on this site, including winches and a prop shaft lying on the sandy bottom. It is heaving with marine life, and anyone in search of crustaceans should not be disappointed here. Lobsters, shrimps and various species of crab can be seen all over the wreckage. This dive can look quite different each time you visit, as some items are buried and others unveiled by the shifting sand. It is possible to swim through one of the boilers and there is even an intact toilet cubicle. Being a shallow wreck, there’s plenty of light.

Unknown wreck, Crumstone
Maximum depth: 17m

Most divers can’t resist exploring new or unidentified wrecks, and this one is just off the Crumstone on a shingle bottom, at a diver-friendly 17m. There are several pieces of wreckage in this area, and it is unclear whether they were part of the same wreck or if they belonged to several, but it all adds to the mystery. Interestingly, there is a propeller and anchor lying on the sea bed next to a boiler and, just a few metres further away, a winch. They are so comprehensively decorated that you have to look quite carefully to make out the shape of the anchor on the sea bed, as it too is a collage of invertebrates.

This is a wonderfully atmospheric dive and has enough to keep both wreckies and biologists entertained. After inspecting the wreck, you can head back over the intricate sea floor to the reef wall, as long as you don’t have a seal hanging onto one of your fins! Keeping the reef on your left, the sea bed rises into shallower water where you can find still more steel plates hidden among the kelp. Like many dives in the Farnes, your safety stops can easily take up to half an hour as the curious seals come in to play and escort you to the surface.

Britannia Maximum depth: 25–30m


Not to be confused with the royal yacht Britannia, this British steamship ran over the Crumstone in thick fog in 1915. The wreck is broken up over a 30m radius, with the majority lying between depths of 9m and 26m. The bow and winch can be found at the bottom of the slope, and divers can swim inside the bow area and peer through the openings. Lobsters and crabs can be seen hiding in all the nooks and crannies on the outside. The engines are half buried in sand, but you can find the boilers standing proud on top of the reef at around 16m. The Britannia is one of my favourites, as you can usually expect reasonable visibility and all the wreckage is covered with algae, giving it a pinkish glow in photographs. At the top of the slope behind the boilers, there is a gulley wide enough to swim through, but be careful not to damage the soft corals. The Britannia lies in a very tidal area, making it a strictly slack-water dive.

Somali
Maximum depth: 30m

When I asked Yvonne, one of our group, if she would buddy me on the Somali, she said that she would be happy to take me to the best places and pose for photographs as long as she still had plenty of time for a good rummage. And therein lies the problem: the Somali is by far the most popular wreck dive in the Farnes because there’s so much to be found.

The wreck of the cargo ship Somali lies upright in 30m of water off Beadnell Point and is owned by Stan Hall of Farne Diving Services. It was headed for Hong Kong when a Heinkel 111 bomber attacked it in 1941. Its cargo included jars of cold cream, medicine bottles, batteries, film and ceramics; even after all the salvaging, there is plenty to be found.

The best features include the engines, boilers and a 12lb, 4in anti-aircraft gun at the stern. Fish tend to congregate around the wreckage and the site has become popular with anglers, so watch out for discarded lines, monofilament and hooks.

Topside

The fishing village of Seahouses sits on the Northumberland coast, which has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Beauty and offers sweeping sandy beaches and countryside walks. Bamburgh Castle is just down the road on the cliff edge and is well worth a visit. If you are feeling fit, you can arrange a walk along Hadrian’s Wall.

There are plenty of good eateries in town, so you won’t go hungry. Trotters bakery on the main street is great for grabbing sandwiches and pies to take with you on the boat in the mornings. The Co-op is open 8am–10pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am–4pm on Sunday.

Seahouses has a good range of accommodation – see www.seahouses.org for listings. If you are booking to dive with a charter boat, you will find that many also offer or recommend diver-friendly lodgings. I stayed at Sovereign Diving’s bed-andbreakfast, the Olde School House.

Boats can be launched from Seahouses between 8.30am and 6pm. The car park costs £4 for a full day’s parking. ■

CONTACTS

Farne Diving Services
01665 720615
www.farnedivingservices.co.uk

Farne Island Diving Charters
0191 297 0914
www.farne-islands-diving.co.uk">www.farne-islands-diving.co.uk

Sovereign Diving
01665 720760
www.sovereigndiving.co.uk