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The Pelican wreck, Tobermory Bay
Richard Booth goes in search of a wreck in UK waters that is best dive in the winter. With excellent visibility in the colder months, the Pelican wreck in Tobermory is just the job
 photographic subject Photo: Richard Booth |
On 6 December 1875 during a particularly severe gale, the Pelican broke her mooring lines and was blown across the bay onto the rocky shore of Calve Island. With her hull holed below the waterline, the Pelican slipped into the water and disappeared into the depths.
Today, the wreck rests on the sea bed in 20m of water close to the shoreline of Calve Island. This site has a reputation for poor visibility and is therefore often ignored by divers in warmer conditions. Over the winter months, however – with fewer visiting divers and cooler plankton-free waters combined with the wreck’s relatively sheltered location – divers can experience exceptional water clarity, revealing the graceful lines of this former elegant vessel in all its glory. Few will forget the imposing sight of the fine ‘clipper’ bow, complete with short bowsprit rising dramatically out of the depths.
Swimming further back along the hull, it is possible to enter the interior of the forward part of the vessel. Careful finning technique is required, however, as the soft, silty bottom is all too easily stirred up. Moving further back along the remains of the hull, the wreckage becomes more broken up and dispersed into the surrounding sea bed.
This wreck site also has the advantage of only being a few minutes’ sail back across the bay to the twinkling lights of Tobermory. Here there is plenty of time to relive the day’s diving over a ‘wee dram’ beside the roaring fire in the bar of the Mishnish Hotel.
To find a local dive centre/boat, go to pages 100 and 106 of DIVE’s Classified section; local BSAC branches can be found at http://www.bsac.com.