dive scapa flow

The Uk’s Best Dive Sites – and How to Get There

 

Somewhat of a closely guarded secret, the scuba diving in the UK is superb – with a coastline of thousands of historical shipwrecks to discover, encounters with playful seals, beautiful drifts though glorious underwater scenery full of soft corals and plentiful marine life.

One of the hotspots for UK diving is the Orkney Islands – the harbour at Scapa Flow is visited by divers from all over the world to explore the sunken World War 1 battleships of the German fleet – puposefully scuttled under command of the German admiralty in 1919 to avoid surrendering the ships to conquering British forces. From the Orknies it is also possible to dive St Kilda, well known for its birdlife, and the underwater marine life is no less spectacular.

There are at least 10 locations in the UK where it is possible to dive with seals, but the most popular has to be the Farne Islands off Northumbria. Here you can pretty much guarantee an encounter with a playful seal or two and experience the thrill of diving through gullies, along underwater cliffs and through fields of atmospheric life supporting kelp forest.

The soft corals and sponges that adorn the cliffs of the Farnes can be seen all over the UK. There are beautiful dives in particular around the south west coast of the UK which the Gulf Stream keeps supplied with plenty of nutrients. The Manacles in Cornwall has reefs, drop offs and pinnacles covered with jewel anemonies and colourful fish, and I haven’t even mentioned the Scillies with wrecks, reefs and walls decorated with corals, sea fans and sea squirts. Similarly divers come from all over the world to visit the Skelligs in southern Ireland with its consistently clear waters perfect for underwater photography.

Larger marine life is out there – some divers are lucky enough to witness the annual migration of the basking sharks, or the occasional dolphin or sunfish. For me personally an encounter with a seahorse off the coast of the Isle of Wight was a moment I will never forget.

So how do you access these dive sites? Dive charter boats on divesearch are waiting to take you there, visit the clickable map to find one and research the useful links you need to plan a trip and refresh your diving skills or start from scratch. And did I mention 10% off teepee holidays in Jersey with BleuSoleil when you book through divesearch?

 

About the Author

Catherine Darton
Discover fabulous UK diving and friendly skippers near you at

http://www.divesearch.co.uk

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Scapa Flow Dive Guide (Explorer) £9.07 Scapa Flow has international acclaim as one of the top wreck diving locations in the world. The shipwrecks are a mixture of battleships, cruisers and destroyers. This guide to Scapa Flow includes wreck details, photographs and a section on aeroplane wrecks….

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Dive Scapa Flow Diving at Scapa Flow where the entire German High Seas Fleet, 74 ships, scuttled on the 21st June 1919. 35 minute video narrated by Patrick Allen….