Dive Sites

The main attraction to Scapa Flow is the WWI German High Seas Fleet, entombed in the still green waters since 1919 following their scuttling by Admiral Von Reuter.

Three 25,388 tonne battleships, four light cruisers and numerous other sites related to the sinking lie within the main body of the Flow - all offering fantastic diving.

Covered in life, massive guns and breathtaking levels of preservation means these wrecks have something for everyone.

Scapa Flow Wrecks

SMS König

König Class Battleship
Built at Kaiserlicht Werft, Wilhelmshaven 1914

Length: 575 feet
Beam: 97 feet
Displacement: 25,388 tons

The König gave its name to the fourth class of German Dreadnought, which were the successors of the Kaiser Class.

The König Class were the first battleships to put all their main guns on the centre line of the ship. This consisted of ten 12 inch guns all in twin turrets. To support this massive armament the König class had seven 5.9 inch casemate guns down each side with another ten smaller guns around her super structure. She also boasted five 19.7 inch submerged torpedo tubes.

The König now lies in 40 metres of water, upside down.

SMS Markgraf

König Class Battleship
Built at A. G. Weser, Bremen 1914

Length: 575 feet
Beam: 97 feet
Displacement: 25,388 tons

The Markgraf is the deepest of the German fleet, lying in 46 meters of water upside down with a slight list. Although deep the Markgraf is the most intact of the three battleships and as such the hull comes up to only 15 metres.

SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm

König Class Battleship
Built at Germaniawerft, Keil 1914.

Length: 575 feet
Beam: 97 feet
Displacement: 25,388 tons

The Kronprinz is the shallowest of the three remaining battleships, and is perhaps why she is more often dived than the others. She lies upside down in 38 metres of water with a more pronounced list than the other two. A main attraction are the stern twelve inch gun turrets the barrels of which are clearly visible.

SMS Cöln

Light Cruiser, Dresden II Class
Built in Hamburg and launched October 1918

Length: 510 feet
Beam: 47 feet
Displacement: 5531 tons

She lies in approximately 36 metres of water on her starboard side. The least depth over her port side is 20 metres. She is in very good condition and is the most intact of the light cruisers.

SMS Brummer

Built in Stettin and launched December 11th 1915

Length: 462 feet
Beam: 20 feet
Displacement: 4308 tons

Built as a mine laying light cruiser, the Brummer could reach speeds of 28 knots powered by twin steam turbines. She lies in approximately 36 metres of water on her starboard side. Least depth over her port side is 20 metres.

SMS Dresden

Light Cruiser, Dresden II Class
Built at Kiel and launched April 25th 1917

Length: 510 feet
Beam: 47 feet
Displacement: 5531 tons

She lies on her port side on a sloping sea bed with her bow in approximately 28 metres and her stern in 37 metres of water.

SMS Karlsruhe

Light Cruiser, Konigsberg II Class
Built at Wilhelmshaven and launched 31st January 1916

Length : 490 feet
Beam: 20 feet
Displacement: 5354 tons

She lies in approximately 26 metres of water on her starboard side. Least depth over her port side is 12 metres.

Other Wrecks
The F2 & Barge YC21

The F2 & Barge YC21

WWII Escort Vessel - Flottenbegleiter
Built at Germainiawerft, Kiel 1936

Length: 249 feet
Beam: 29 feet
Displacement: 790 tons

The F2 lies on her port side in about 18 metres of water the bridge remains intact however astern of this the wreck has been dispersed by the royal navy. The bow still has the anchor capstan and chain clearly visible with the forward 4.1 inch gun behind this. The F2 would have had several anti-aircraft guns when she sank. These have since been salvaged by a vessel called the YC21, fortunately this barge also sank some 30 metres from the F2 whilst in the process of breaking the F2!

Burra Sound Block Ships

Burra Sound is a narrow channel at the top of Scapa Flow. It contains the wrecks of many vessels used as block ships to prevent access to the Flow by enemy vessels. They are now washed by the clear waters of the Atlantic, causing an explosion of life and outstanding visibility. The tide races through here at about 5 knots so the diving must be done at slack water.

Gobernador Bories | Doyle | Tabarka | Burra Sound Drift

Gobernador Bories

A Chilean steamer sunk in its present position in 1915. She displaced 2,333 tons when afloat but now lies on the bottom in 18 metres of water with a list to port. The stern and bow post sections are still intact but the midships area is fairly broken. This allows easy access in to the inner areas of the wreck. The wreck still has her large iron propeller and rudder in place.

Doyle

A Belfast registered steamer sunk in Burra Sound in 1940. Very similar in size and layout to the Gobernador, the 1,761 ton Doyle sits in 16 metres of water with a list to port. Her bow section is intact and allows easy access to the forward hold and fore peak. The propeller and rudder are still in place.

Tabarka

The biggest of the remaining diveable blockships lies upside down in 14 metres of water. Originally sunk at what is now the first Churchhill Barrier, she was raised and re-sunk in Burra Sound at the start of world war two. There are several holes blasted in to the side of the wreck to aid sinking which provides excellent access to the interior of the ship. The whole dive can be spent inside the wreck with the triple expansion engine and the boilers all visible.

Burra Sound Drift

This can be done just after low water slack, drifting with the first of the flood tide. If you are lucky you will see the three blockships mentioned above as well as the remains of several others which have either broken up or been dispersed. These include the Inverlane, the Budrie, Urmstone Grange, Rotherfield, and Ronda, all sunk during the First or Second World Wars.

Scenic Diving

Orkney is famous for its prolific wreck sites. What is often overlooked is the fact that its pristine waters and dramatic rock formations provide some spectacular scenic diving. Cliff faces, huge boulders and storm gullies, kelp forests and marl beds all support an abundant variety of marine life. Sites include Stanger Head, Inganess and the Kame of Hoy.

Most of these sites are outside Scapa Flow and can be weather dependant. Depths vary from 12 - 40 metres.

Other Dives

Other dives within Scapa Flow include many different wrecks sunk both during the wars and after, these include;

The remaining scrap sites of the German Fleet - 11 sites containing the leftovers of the salvage work. The largest of these is the Bayern Gun Turrets. The salvage of the Bayern left the four 15 inch main gun turrets lying on the sea bed in 36 - 40 metres off water.

Also the remains of the destroyers V83 and S54 remain in shallow water.

Two civilian ships which were under the command of the royal navy, the Strathgarry, a boom defence vessel sunk in 60m in Hoxa Sound, and the Rodean (ex-Roebuck), a former passenger ship converted to minesweeping sunk in Longhope bay in 15m of water. This was dispersed due to navigation hazards, but a good chunk of the ship remains.

The James Barrie was a Hull registered steam trawler which hit the Pentland Skerries and sunk whilst being towed into Scapa flow. She lies on her starboard side in 40m off water normally in very good visibility.

Also in Hoxa Sound is the wreck of the UB116 a U-boat which was depth charged near the end of the war. Unfortunately a botched salvage attempt in the 1970’s has blown the wreck apart - however much remains of the wreck, again with good visibility.