Wreck
down to 11 m
Churchill Barrier 2 blockships
Shallow shore dive (1-10 m) among about eleven blockships beside Churchill Barrier 2, best at high tide.
- Open Water
Experienced≤40 m
SMS Cöln
Dive site in Scapa Flow (Orkney), United Kingdom
A German light cruiser on its starboard side in 36 m, home to shoaling pollock, cod, lobsters and crabs.
- Max depth
- 36 m
- Level
- Experienced
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
The story
SMS Cöln was launched in 1916 and commissioned into the High Seas Fleet in January 1918, just 10 months before the end of World War I.
Source: scapaflowwrecks.com
The dive
A wreck dive. Known for pollack, crustaceans and starfish and urchins.
Who it's for
Experienced≤40 mSource: scapaflowwrecks.com
Recommended minimum: Experienced (Deep Specialty, N3).
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- Cold waterCold water, often with a drysuit; plan for heavier kit.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Wreck
- Environment
- Open water
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Pollack
- Crustaceans
- Starfish and urchins
- Cod
Season in Scapa Flow (Orkney)
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: Jun–Sep.
Source: padi.comWhere is Scapa Flow (Orkney)?
The point shows the Scapa Flow (Orkney) area, not the exact dive site.
More dives in Scapa Flow (Orkney)
Wreck
down to 18 m
Dyle (Burra Sound)
A Burra Sound blockship in 12-17 m ringed by kelp, covered in dwarf plumose anemones and patrolled by wrasse and pollack.
- Advanced
- Pollack
Wreck
down to 20 m
F2 & YC21
A WWII German escort boat and its sunken salvage barge in 16-18 m, diveable at any state of the tide and a great second dive.
- Open Water
Wreck
down to 15 m
Churchill Barrier 3 blockships
Walk-in shore dive to blockships including the Empire Seaman, Martis and Gartshore, used for drysuit courses, to 15 m.
- Open Water
Wreck
down to 27 m
SMS Karlsruhe
A broken-up German cruiser in 25 m where areas inaccessible on other cruisers become accessible, with 40-minute dives possible.
- Advanced
Wreck
down to 18 m
Tabarka (Burra Sound)
A Burra Sound blockship in 14-18 m covered in flora and fauna, where light pours into the interior from December to April.
- Advanced
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.