Dive Site Info: Sylla

Dive Site: HMS Scylla
Location: 50°19.655'N; 04°15.162'W(Whitsand Bay, Plymouth)
Description: Frigate
Length: 113 metres (370 feet)
Depth: 24 metres to sea floor (79 feet)

HMS Scylla is a Leander-class frigate that served in the Royal Navy between 1970 and December 2003. She was actually launched at Devonport in August 1968 and was the fourth Royal Navy ship to carry the name Scylla. Notably our own Andy Hardwick served on her during his time as a clearance diver in the Navy. During her commission she performed a variety of roles, from patrols in Icelandic waters during the second and third 'Cod Wars' to royal escort duties for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. She also provided humanitarian relief in the Cayman Islands during 1980 when hurricanes threatened the lives of many of the inhabitants.

Records indicate that she was a little like a bumper car as she collided with a ferry in Plymouth during foggy weather in 1973, causing the Captain to undergo a court martial while later achieving notoriety for ramming an Icelandic gun boat.

Following her decommission she was bought by the National Marine Aquarium, She was then sunk on the 27th of March 2004 in Whit sand bay near Plymouth, where she now lies creating an artificial reef for divers, the first of its kind in Europe.

The Scylla is now a large and enticing wreck, measuring 113 metres long with a 13 metre beam. To fully appreciate the wreck would take several dives and there is no doubt that you can see plenty on one dive.

Before being sunk the ship was altered to make her safe and accessible for divers, consequently while she is upright and fully intact there are a number of holes in the structure to allow for easy access and improve the light for those that want to venture inside. Of course penetration should still only be undertaken by those with suitable training and experience. Certain areas such as the engine room have been rendered inaccessible by concrete to again keep the wreck as safe as possible.

Nevertheless, if you do want to explore inside there is plenty to see with radar consoles and other equipment having been left in place. Just be mindful that there is already a coating of fine silt in the ship and poor fining can easily destroy any visibility.

On the decks and superstructure the wreck is already being colonised by sea life with the hull covered in anemones and sea squirts. She has also started to attract an abundance of fish including bib, Pollack, Pouting and Wrasse.

The wreck is well marked with several lines to her decks the choice of which to use being largely down to expected water movement. Whilst largely intact and offering a pleasant dive for relative novices and more experienced divers the main mast, funnels and sonar dome have been removed to accommodate local shipping activities and the decks at the bow lie in approximately 11 metres with the depth to the sea bed at about 24 metres

The British sea conditions have already caused the aircraft hanger to collapse towards the stern but we can all expect this wreck to get better and better over time as the sea slowly makes her its own. Divers joining Orca on our Plymouth trip can certainly look forward to this dive.