Guides
SS Thesis re-visited
Although the original guide for this wreck is contained in the general overview guide it has really changed beyond belief and as such I have produced a new guide which is much more relevant.
Latest Photographs


A bit of an 'arty-farty' in this case looking up at Black Rock from near the bottom in about 6m of water!
A very scenic dip with dead mans fingers (Alcyonium digitatum) covering hard rock with boulders in some of the larger gullies.
A grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) the reason loads of divers visit the islands
A large edible crab (Cancer pagurus) in among the dead-mans fingers.
A Devonshire cup-coral (Caryophyllia smithii), there are loads of these multi-coloured critters on the wreckage
The ships were built for speed, with plates rivetted together, the rivets will have been made from a softer material with less cobalt/manganese so have rotted away leaving rows of holes and allowing the paltes to start slipping.
The 'fresh' Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus) that was stranded at Embleton, this shot gives some indication of scale
This site is home to a multitude of Common Hermit Crabs (pagurus bernhardus) and they do seem to be involved in a never ending squabble or 'pagger', the behaviour possibly derived from its latin name?
Just a random scenic shot, its a big old wreck
More identifiable bits, the steam powered windlass that was mounted near the bow, the main steel mast in lying to the left (North) up and onto a reef and there are bits of bollard and the like adjacent.
Caught a fraction of a second prior to a zoom away exit a Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), probably why a lot of 'non-locals' dive Babbacombe, I was a touch late this year.
This is the keel I reckon, only 'obvious' as the weeds have dropped away.
And after half an hour the pile of scrap iron had grown significantly!
Arty-farty shot of a pinnacle
Another shot of the propellor tip, this time from the side, maybe looking at the two shots it makes sense.
A grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) the reason loads of divers visit the islands, against a back drop of The Hopper
And this is said 'brass section' telling the gunner how to 'offnen', although I'm sure that they would have been pretty sure of what to do.....
Various small fish hovering about near the broken up sea-weed
This is the 'type' of bottom which I was talking about, formed from loads of worm tubes, it's quite soft and sandy so can feel crunchy if your buoyancy control is poor.
A very nosey grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) the reason loads of divers visit the islands