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SCUBA DIVING IN WEST CORNWALL
West Cornwall offers some of the best diving available in Northern Europe with Penzance and St Ives providing the perfect access points. With North and South coasts just a few minutes away from each other the area has the distinct advantage of being able to provide different options according to the prevailing weather conditions.
The wide variety of sites available means that it is not difficult to find something new, for many the main attraction is the abundance of wrecks which have foundered around the local coastline, and, lying in a variety of depths, provide dive opportunities for all experience levels. Most divers visiting the North coast include at least one dive on 'the train wreck' as it has become known. The wreck of the "St Chamonde" sank with its cargo of 75 ton steam trains, which now make a fascinating dive.
Just off the South coast can be found the Runnel Stone Reef. Marked by a warning buoy, this reef has still managed to claim thousands of tons of shipping. This area also includes some of the most spectacular reef diving to be found in the UK with walls like underwater cliff faces, covered in jewel anemones of every shade and hue and countless numbers of plumose anemones in peach, white and green.
West Cornwall's dive sites offer an endless and constantly changing fauna, sufficient to keep even the most inquisitive diver happy for many a long dive. The indigenous population is complemented by a variety of visitors at different times of the year such as Trigger fish, Sunfish, Lumpsuckers, the incredible Basking Shark, Dolphins and even the occasional Turtle! Water temperature rises to a pleasant 17·C in the summer and average visibility is far better than most other parts of the UK.
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Dodman Point to The Manacles
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The Eastfield:
The SS Eastfield was a steam ship with a gross tonnage of 2,150, which became a U-boat casualty of the First World War when she was torpedoed off Dodman Point on November 27, 1917. Parts of her are remarkably intact, although the wreck has been commercially salvaged, and she lies mostly upright in approximately 40-43m of water. In keeping with many merchantmen of the period, she carried a small gun on her stern. She is shown on Admiralty charts and her position is approximately Lat 51.14.05N, Long 04.42.09W. Gull Rock: Gull Rock is located offshore from Nare Head to the west of Dodman Point and close to the fishing ports of Portloe and Portscatho. This location offers a choice of two sites the reef system of the Whelps and the wreck of a square rig barque called the Hera.
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The Whelps:
This is a reef system which breaks surface just south of Gull Rock, dropping off quite sharply to depths of 25-30m via a series of deep gullies and plateaux. The gully walls are covered with a variety of large sponges and soft corals (dead mens fingers). As you progress below 18-20m you will find gorgonian (fan) coral and Ross coral. Fish life is generally good with cuckoo wrasse, shoals of pollack, mackerel and cod often sighted. During the summer months, cuttlefish are common and if you leave the reef in deeper water, the scallop bed on the sand flats can often provide something for supper. The area is generally sheltered from the tidal streams, but care should be taken on the seaward side of the reef during spring tides.
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The Hera:
This is a wreck of a four-masted steel barque built in Tecklenberg in Germany and was originally named the Richard Wagner. She was 280ft in length with a net tonnage of 1,994 and today would be admired as a classic tall ship. She struck the Whelps reef during a south-westerly gale on February 1, 1913, which ripped open her hull allowing her only to stumble another quarter of a mile before she quickly sank on the west side of Gull Rock. Since then the Hera has become one of the classic wreck dives of the area, being in shallow (12-15m) and relatively sheltered waters, and there is a substantial amount of wreckage still to be seen. The hull now lies in almost two separate halves, with the remains of her masts to lead you from one to the other. Both bow and stern have areas of wreckage which stand five metres up from the seabed. The steelwork here is festooned with plumose anemones and dead mens fingers and attracts a wide variety of fish life. The central section of the hull is largely collapsed, although the ribs and decking are easily distinguished. The cargo of nitrates washed away long ago, but the remains of the holds still yield some interesting finds. The position of the wreck is Lat. 50.11.48N 04.54.01W and is often buoyed in the summer months, but is easily found from marks which the local diving centres will be happy to provide.
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Killigerran Head:
Moving south along the coast towards Falmouth brings you to Killigerran Head. This is a very scenic shallow site (8-12m), which is ideal for a second dive. The cliffs run straight into the water and below the surface you will encounter an extensive reef system of deep gullies and tunnels running out from the base of the cliffs. The seabed is fairly heavy shingle, so visibility is often very good even after a blow. Lots of small reef life here to keep the photographer and naturalist happy for hours.
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The Old Wall:
Approximately a mile offshore from Killigerran Head begins a reef system known locally as the Old Wall. The best diving in this area is found at the north-eastern edge of the reef where it runs a little deeper, but forms a series of semi isolated pinnacles. These can only be reliably found with GPS/Decca, so talk to your charter skipper or to the local dive centres. The top of the reef here begins in 20-24m, which then drops off dramatically via a series of sheer faces and gullies to around 35m. The rock faces are densely covered with dead mens fingers, gorgonian corals, jewel and plumose anemones and sponges Where the rock meets the heavy sand, seabed angler fish are often encountered and large shoals of pollack and pouting are common. The area is exposed to tidal movement and currents can be very strong, especially during spring tides, so choose to dive here at slack water or perhaps drift on a neap tide.
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The Lady Of The Isles:
This ship was the first of the Royal Mail steamers serving the Isles of Scilly, commencing service shortly after being built in 1875. She continued in this role until 1904 when she was replaced by the first Scillonian steamer. The next 36 years were spent as a salvage vessel in local waters until she herself became a victim on October 3, 1940 when she struck a mine off Killigerran Head. She sank about two miles offshore at a charted position of Lat 50.09.00N Long 04.56.00W in 50-58m of water. The central section of the ship is still reasonably intact and the wreck still reveals the odd find, despite being dived regularly. The area is very tidal and given the depth and visibility, which varies from acceptable to pitch black it is not a dive for the faint-hearted. Seek local advice before trying this one.
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The Manacles Reef:
Progressing still further south across Falmouth Bay, past the mouth of the Helford River, will bring you to the infamous Manacles Reef, some of which can be clearly seen breaking the surface off Manacle Point. This area rates as probably the most spectacular in Falmouth Bay, but must only be dived when the conditions are right. Vicious tides are experienced here, sometimes even between slack periods on a spring tide, and sadly there have been several diving tragedies here. The best diving is found on the outer reefs of the Manacles, where the reefs are most exposed to the tide, and the density of marine life is often quite staggering. Much of the reef system is not surface breaking, so it is important to go with a boatman who knows the area and tides and has the right equipment to identify the sites. The whole area offers potentially excellent diving, so I have restricted my description to one well-known reef and wreck dive.
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Raglans Reef:
This is the most seaward of the reefs and looks very impressive on the echo sounder, rising sheer from a depth of 50-60m, like a church spire, to within 3-4m of the surface. The north-east side of this pinnacle is a series of vertical rock faces, which are carpeted with plumose anemones in a variety of colours. Just below the kelp line, around 8m, the rocks are covered with hydroids, masses of brittle stars, endless arrays of jewel anemones and soft corals. This is an excellent site for photography, not least due to the range of subjects, but also because of the depth ranges available in one dive go deep first, then decompress in the shallows looking for macro subjects. The site is especially exhilarating when there is some tide running, as you will often encounter shoals of bass or pollack sheltering from the current in the lee of the rock, darting out to feed. However, this should only be attempted with an experienced boatman who can drop you at the right time and will know where to pick you up after the dive.
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The SS Mohegan:
This is an extremely well-known wreck covering quite a large area of the inner Manacles. She was a 7,000 ton liner which struck the Outer Voices rock on October 14, 1898, on only her second voyage to New York. A total of 106 lives were lost, many of whom are buried in a communal grave at the village church of St. Keverne on the Lizard. Due to heavy seas and salvage the wreck is largely flattened, but there are several high points on her, notably the boilers, which have the familiar covering of dead men's fingers, cup corals and jewel and plumose anemones. Under the plates and decking you will encounter shoals of bib and pouting,and seemingly endless numbers of conger eels. Local clubs have been excavating here in recent years producing some interesting finds, so keep your eyes peeled. If you get bored with the wreck, swim on to the reef, where the variety of life will keep you entertained. The average depth is 18-26m and again safest as a slack water dive.
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The Lizard Peninsula
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The SS Ilston:
Lizard point itself is infamous for its many wrecks, the majority of which lie in relatively shallow water close to shore and as a result are very broken up. The Ilston is one exception and lies in deeper water two miles or so east of Lizard point at Lat 49.57.10N Long 05.09.45W. She was an armed merchantman of 2,426 tons from the First World War and was sunk on June 30, 1917 by torpedo from one of the many U-boats which hunted the convoys in this area. She now lies in 45-48m of water in a remarkably intact condition, although the stern section is broken away from the bows and lies slightly on its side. The deck gun is still in place on the stern along with ammunition, which should be avoided, and her cargo of railway rolling stock is spilled across the seabed. The forward accommodation is reasonably accessible and still harbours some interesting finds as this wreck is rarely dived due to its location. The visibility is often remarkable here (20-30m), which makes for a spectacular dive. The site is best visited with one of the local charter boats as it is difficult to find and is swept by strong tides which, coupled with the depth, require careful planning.
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SS Carmarthen:
Another casualty of the First World War this steamship of 4,265 tons was torpedoed on July 26, 1917. She sank in 20m, close to Kennack Sands at Lat 50.00.07N Long 05.07.27W. She has been heavily salvaged and is largely flattened, with the boilers remaining the most prominent feature.
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Kynance Cove:
This cove lies on the west side of the Lizard and is owned by the National Trust. The only practical way to dive here is by boat, although much of the diving is close to shore. There are two large rocks offshore, Asparagus Island and Gull Rock, which make interesting dives in depths of 10-16m. But the best areas are under the cliffs to the south of the cove towards Lion Rock. Average depths are 10-15m and the topography comprises deep gullies and swim-throughs running out from the base of the cliffs. All the normal shallow water flora and fauna are found here, with a good chance of encountering groups of cuttlefish in the summer months. Visibility is often very good here due to the bright heavy granite sand seabed, but be cautious of the strong tides, especially on springs, just offshore from these sites.
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Mullion Island:
Mullion is a small fishing village on the south-west side of the Lizard close to the town of Helston. The harbour does have a slipway, although access is tight and you must seek the harbour master's permission before launching and pay a launch fee. Alternatively, launch from nearby Poldhu Cove which has a firm sandy beach and plenty of car parking space. However, if planning to launch from here in the summer months do arrive early as it is a very popular tourist beach. Approximately a mile offshore from Mullion harbour lies the large rocky outcrop of Mullion Island. The landward side of the island offers some interesting gully diving in 8-15m of water with the possibility of encountering the occasional seal or diving sea bird from the large colonies on the rock. Watch out for a collection of iron cannons in a deep gulley on the south-western corner of the island, the origin of which is still a mystery. There is much more spectacular diving on the seaward side of the island, perhaps a further half a mile out due east. Here the reef starts at between 16-18m and drops sharply to 25m in the deeper gullies. These reefs support outcrops of the attractive Ross coral and gorgonians and in the springtime you will find a profusion of reproducing nudibranchs. Tides are not a great problem here except during springs when diving should be planned for slack water especially on the seaward side.
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Porthleven:
A little further west along the coats is the fishing village of Porthleven which offers a slipway launch from its inner harbour. However, the harbour dries at low water. There are many good dive sites west of Porthleven, especially under the cliffs of Trewavas head.
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Welloe Rock:
This area is approximately four miles south-west of Porthleven, and consists of a large area of reef with a plateau at between 10-12m. This drops off to 25-30m. The area is exposed to the full force of the tide and consequently is a slack water dive, but as a result does benefit from lush marine growth on the exposed rock faces with sponges, Ross coral and gorgonian. The reef also attracts shoals of mackerel and bass.
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SS John R. Park:
This is the wreck of a liberty ship (similar to the James Egan Layne at Plymouth), approximately 4-5 miles west, offshore from Porthleven. Built in 1943 at the liberty shipyard in Richmond, California, this ship followed the standard design and was 441 feet long with a net tonnage of 7,194. She was returning to the US, in ballast, as part of a convoy from Southampton in March 1945 when she became another U-boat casualty. She was hit by a single torpedo from U399 on March 21,1945 some 9 miles south of the Lizard fortunately with no loss of life. U399 was sunk herself only five days later off Lands End by HMS Duckworth. The J.R. Park now sits upright in between 45-58m of water and is still quite intact. This is a deep dive for the experienced. Either use a local charter boat or contact the Penzance BSAC who have dived her extensively. In the right conditions, this is an exhilarating dive and still yields interesting mementoes despite the recovery of the "major" items of interest
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MOUNTS BAY TO LANDS END
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Prussia Cove:
Prussia Cove and Bessys Cove are found on the eastern side of Mounts Bay behind Cudden Point. They are locally infamous for their smuggling history, but for the diver offer a delightful selection of gullies, tunnels and marine life in depths of 5-15m of water. In the centre of Prussia Cove can be found an area of wreckage which marks the site of the stranding of HMS Warspite in 1947 while under tow to the breakers yard.
She was heavily damaged by a severe south-west gale and eventually partially salvaged here before being moved to St. Michael's Mount in Mounts Bay, where the ongoing salvage of the hulk was a landmark for several years. There is quite a selection of wreckage left on the seabed and interesting finds are still discovered by the patient diver.
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The SS Hellopes:
On the western side of Mounts Bay lies the wreck of the 2,774 ton steamer Hellopes which sank on December 29, 1911 off Penzance. She too was on her way to the breakers yard carrying a cargo of coal which shifted in a fierce NNW gale. The wreck now lies in 32-34m of water on her side with the hull relatively intact and steel screw and rudder still in place. Tides are not much of a problem except on springs and the wreck is easily found on land marks (talk to the locals) and echo sounder as she stands up well from a sand and shale seabed at approximately Lat 50.02.5N Long 05.30.6W.
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Bucks Reef:
West of Penzance and close to Lamorna Cove lie the Inner and Outer Bucks Reef which show perhaps a quarter mile offshore as two pinnacles at low water. The best diving is found on the Outer Bucks, which provides drop off diving to 27-35m. The walls and huge boulders harbour a wide range of colourful marine life and there is evidence of wreckage and steam coal in 20m or so. This is believed to originate from the steamship Garronne which came to grief between the two reefs on May 22,1868. Her well broken remains can be found in 3-8m of water between the pinnacles, but is best left for a day without swell. This site is best dived on slack water especially during spring tide. There is a slipway at Lamorna Cove but access is tight and the car park is often packed to capacity during summer. There is some notoriously soft sand at the bottom of the slipway which can swallow a heavy RIB and trailer so aim for mid tide or high water. See the harbour warden at the cove cafˇ before launching.
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The SS Lincoln:
This is a wreck of an early steam sailer located approximately a mile and a half off St. Loys Bay to the west of Lamorna Cove. She sank in May 1886 after striking the Runnel Stone in thick fog and the majority of her remains can now be found in 28-35m of water on an attractive area of reef. The latter makes her hard to locate on just an echo sounder, so GPS/Decca are more reliable (50.02.56N / 05.35.42W approx.). Some salvage work is apparent and the major goodies are long gone, but interesting finds are still possible as the wreck is not often dived. Divers spotting the spare propeller on the bow should contain their excitement as it is iron!
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The Wolf Rock
is a pinnacle seven miles from the nearest land and in common with the Longships also supports a lighthouse. Sheer drop-offs around the rock plummet to 60m plus and its isolation ensure stunning marine life. The rock earned its name from the sound caused by gale force winds blowing over it, howling like a wolf, and gives some indication of the normal weather conditions here. However, if the conditions permit and you have a skipper with local knowledge, this for some will represent the ultimate dive site in an area which can offer so much choice.
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Logans Rock:
Progressing still further south-west towards Lands End brings you to the cliff edge land mark of Logans Rock. There are three or four dives in this vicinity ranging from relatively shallow gully diving (0-15m) to drop-offs down large boulder strewn slopes to 30m plus. The seabed features a coarse and heavy bright yellow sand which settles quickly after bad weather and is highly reflective, producing bright conditions even at depth. The area is exposed to tides which provide a great density and variety of marine life and is an ideal site for photographers. It is possible to dive around Gull Rock here at all states of the tide as it provides shelter from currents running east or west, but do ensure that you have good boat cover. This is an area often passed over by the avid wreck diver, but it can provide many varied and exciting dives.
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The Runnel Stone:
Moving a little further south towards Lands End is the infamous Runnel Stone, which is reputed to have wrecked more than 27 ships. The Runnel Stone is in fact an extensive area of reefs and pinnacles, which lost its only surface breaking feature to the last vessel to be wrecked on the Stone, the City of Westminster in 1923. This area is within sight of Lands End and the Longships lighthouse and is consequently open to the Atlantic. Tides and weather need to be right and even in good weather, there is normally a healthy swell to contend with. Local knowledge is essential as the tides are vicious and sometimes unpredictable and the weather can change very quickly. But under the right conditions the Stone is simply stunning. Underwater the reef system offers walls, gullies and plateaux which support an astounding wealth of marine life, even playing host to the occasional sub-tropical visitor such as triggerfish and sunfish. It is common to encounter large shoals of mackerel, bass and pollock which show little fear of divers. In among the rocks are the remains of the numerous wrecks, which in some cases are so close or overlapping that it is difficult to tell when you swim from one to another. One of the best known and the largest is the City of Westminster, which now lies on the south side of the Stone. Her remains include the bows and midships section in 20-25m, while her stern lies a little off the main reef in 50-55m and is consequently rarely dived. Other wrecks in the immediate vicinity are the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Moorview (1920), the Febrero (1863), the Lake Grafton (1920), and the Joshua Nicholson all in depths of 15-25m. It is possible to satisfy every diver's taste on the Runnel Stone with more wreckage than you could cope with and the option of adjacent spectacular drop-offs and gullies for photographers and marine life observers. The visibility here is generally very good, with 20m not uncommon, although the plankton bloom in late spring/early summer will reduce this.
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Longships and Wolf Rock:
These two sites are not normally visited by day charter boats, although some of the liveaboards may include them in an itinerary. The Longships Reef and its lighthouse are visible from Lands End. Seven tidal currents are reputed to meet here, which makes it an unpredictable area, so it is not a site for the inexperienced or faint-hearted. The north-west side of the Longships drops to 25-40m and beyond and is spectacular to say the least. The visibility can be exceptional. If coming here by RIB the nearest launch site is Sennen Cove, which has a large tidal range. It is safest to come here in pairs (of RIBS) to provide cover and be prepared to wait for slack water.
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