The Wrecks in Orkney Waters:
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 The Wrecks of Orkney |
North Isle
The North Isle of Orkney offer a complete new flavour of diving that contrasts well with Scapa Flow. Being more tidal, the visibility and water clarity is always better whilst the range of wrecks spans the length of history. There are also many scenic drops, cliffs and drifts whilst staying in the different islands each night makes for a relaxing week.
Tomalina
- Location: Noup Head, Westray
- Depth: 27m
- Tide: Ebb
- Size: Gross Tonnage 200 Length: 24m
- Condition: Intact
The Tomalina was a Well Boat used for transporting live salmon smoult that ran into noup Head in the late eighties.
The visibility and the location make this one of the best dives in Orkney. However conditions must be extremely favourable to be able to dive this spot.
Bellavista
- Location: Papa Westray
- Depth: 14m
- Tide: Any
- Size: Gross Tonnage 6299 Length: 107m
- Condition: Broken and unidentifiable
A shallow dive on a well broken 3,527 ton Panamanian steamship lost on the 29/07/1948 after running ashore on Papa Westray with a cargo of Iron Ore.
Llama
- Location: Skea Skerry, Westray Sound
- Depth: 14m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage 3189 Length: 97m
- Condition: Broken but identifiable
The 3,189 ton American Tanker Llama, on route to Copenhagen, was lost on the Skea Skerries on the 31/10/1915 while attempting to enter Kirkwall to undergo contraband control. The Tanker slipped of the reef and now sits in 14 meters of water.
The three boilers remain clustered together, normally at the divers drop off point, whilst the rest of the hull remains broken on the seabed. It is easy enough to identify the remains and picture what she used to look like.
A slack water dive, the visibility is always good this far north.
Tosto
- Location: Westray Firth
- Depth:55m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage 1234 Length:74m
- Condition: Reasonably intact
The Norwegian steamship Tosto (Ex Heimdal) sank on the 17/06/1917 after striking a mine, laid by UC 49 in the Westray Firth.
The ship laden with coal sank in 3 minutes but all the crew were saved. The ship lays in 55 meters of water, the most prominent features being the bow and boilers.
being in the tidal waters of the Westray Firth, the visibility is often excellent.
The Tosto
Char
- Location: Eday Sound
- Depth: 14m
- Tide: Ebb tide only
- Size: 32m
- Condition: Broken into three
There is some confusion as to the true identity of this wreck. It is said this wreck is the Admiralty Tug lost in 1915 after being rammed by a trawler.
Although small, she makes for a good rummage, with each of the three sections intact enough to make for a good swim through.
The visibility in Eday Sound is generally good and the wreck lies on good scallop ground.
St Rognvald
- Location: Burgh Head, Stronsay
- Depth: 15m
- Tide: Any
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 486 Length: 73m
- Condition: Very broken
The St Rognvald stuck Burgh Head, Stronsay in thick fog at 6am on the 24th April 1900 while on route to Kirkwall from Shetland with passengers, general cargo and ponies. All the passengers, many still in their night clothes, and crew were saved but the ponies could not be got off the ship and were all lost.
The wreck now lays very broken in gullies in about 10-15 meters of water. Largely unidentifiable, she has been well broken by storms.
On the 10/09/1901 her replacement went ashore on Fair Isle but suffered only slight damage.
Hastings County
- Location:Auskerry
- Depth: 15m
- Tide: Any
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 4178 Length: 116m
- Condition: Very Broken
Another victim of fog this large steamship ( 4,178 ton ) ran aground on the island of Auskerry in 1926. Within 4 months she had broken up and now lays scattered over a wide area in 10- 15 meters of water.
Aorangi
- Location: East of the first Churchill Barrier
- Depth:14m
- Tide: Any
- Size: Gross Tonnage:4268 Length:118
- Condition: Broken but recognisable
A 4,268 ton blockship that once blocked the channel into Kirk Sound. In 1920 this steamship was raised and re sunk off Kirk Holm and now makes an interesting shallow dive. Her boilers remain and bow section is recognisable whilst the remains of her hull make for some interesting swim-throughs.
The Aorangi lies in shallow, clear sheltered non tidal waters making a perfect second dive when travelling up the east coast of Orkney.
Remus
- Location: East of South Ronaldsay
- Depth: 66m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage:1079 Length:67m
- Condition: Broken but not too badly
This small steamer was torpedoed off Copinsay on the 23/02/1918 with the loss of 5 men. The wreck now sits in 66 meters of water and is one of the many Trimix dives to the East of Orkney.
Daghesten
- Location: East of South Ronaldsay
- Depth:57m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 5742 Length:61
- Condition:Reasonably intact
This large Tanker, 5,742 tons, was sunk on the 23/04/1940 after being torpedoed by the U 57
A little dived wreck, due to it's location, this would reward those willing to explore.
Giralda
- Location: East of South Ronaldsay
- Depth: 66m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 2178 Length: 85m
- Condition: Broken in two with both sections close
On the 30/03/1940 the 2178 ton steamship Giralda was attacked and sunk by German aircraft with the loss of her crew of 23.
A little dived wreck, due to it's location, this would reward those willing to explore.
Freesia
- Location: Eynhallow
- Depth: 40m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 285 Length: 40m
- Condition: Broken but recognisable
This 285 ton Grimsby Trawler struck on Costa Head on Mainland Orkney on new years day 1922 while returning home from a fishing trip to Iceland. The trawler drifted off the high cliffs and was taken by the tide into Eynhallow Sound where she foundered in 40 meters of water taking 9 of her 11 crew with her. This wreck, although broken make a very interesting dive.
Kingston Turquoise
- Location: North Shoal
- Depth: 66m
- Tide: Any
- Condition: to be found
A Trawler lost off West Mainland on the 25/01/1965. This one struck the North Shoal, and sank in 4 minutes. The wreck now sits in 60 meters of water.
Hampshire
- Location: Marwick Head
- Depth: 64m
- Tide: N/A
- Size: Gross Tonnage 10,850 Length: 140m
- Condition: Upturned and relatively intact
The Hampshire is a war grave and as such remains off limits to divers.
Endeavour
- Location: String
- Depth: 30m
- Tide: Slack
- Condition: Reasonably intact
This ex- trawler was used by the Navy as a boom defence boat. On the 10/03/1918 she hit the boom off Kirkwall and sank. The vessel was 156 tons and built in Glasgow in 1894.
She now lies upright on the seabed, reasonably intact and makes a good, scenic dive.
Loch Maddy
- Location: Inganess Bay
- Depth: 12m
- Tide: Any
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 4996
- Condition: Broken in two, bow section missing
This 4,996 ton steamship was torpedoed to the East of Orkney by the U 57 on the 20th February 1940 but didn't sink.
She was taken in tow but at 1.09 am on the 21st she received another torpedo, this time from the U 23 commanded by the famous U boat Ace Otto Kretschmer.
The Loch Maddy broke in two, only the aft part remained afloat and was towed to Kirkwall where it sank in 12 meters of water The wreck still has a large amount of her cargo of Oregon pine on board. The bow sank in deep water and has to date never been found.
The Loch Maddy in tow
Cotovia
- Location: South of Auskerry
- Depth: 40m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 4020 Length: 113m
- Condition: Broken but recognisable
UC 49 was once more active off Orkney one month after the sinking of Tosto and it was one of her mines that sank the 4020 ton Cotovia on the 22/07/1917. Although broken up this is an excellent wreck sitting in 40 meters of water with large boilers, engine block and a large number of shell cases scattered around the stern.
Manina
- Location: Sule Stack
- Depth: 43m
- Tide: Any
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 1877 Length: 80m
- Condition: Broken but superb
The Manina was lost on Sule Stack, 36 miles to the West of Orkney, on the 08/04/1968. 9 of the crew of 14 were lost as the ship broke up in very heavy seas. The wreck sits in a gully with the midships in 12 meters, and the bow and stern close to each other in 40 meters. The dive has been described as "outstanding" with visibility of 35-40 meters being experienced. This wreck site is very weather dependent, being so far off shore.
Tennesee
- Location: Deerness
- Depth: 10m
- Tide: Any
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 5667 Length: 55m
- Condition: Very broken
This 5,667 ton vessel went aground in fog in 1940 and became a total loss. This wreck now sits in 10 meters and makes an interesting rummage dive.
Zarefah
- Location: Mull Head
- Depth: 40m
- Tide: Slack
- Size: Gross Tonnage: 279
- Condition: Broken
The Zarefah was a luxury yacht commissioned by the navy and converted to minesweeping duties that struck a mine and sank in 1917. She was only recently discovered in the summer of 2002.
