Scapa Flow
The German High Seas Fleet scuttled itself in this Orkney anchorage in 1919. The remaining battleships and cruisers are among the best-known cold-water wreck dives in the world.
Read this first Information, not instruction. Nothing here replaces training with a qualified instructor.
Site facts
- Location
- Orkney, Scotland
- Type
- Wreck
- Depth
- Battleships about 35–47 m; cruisers shallower
- Water
- About 8–13 °C
- Access
- Mostly by dive boat from Stromness
- Typical gas
- Nitrox or trimix; CCR common
Several wrecks are protected as scheduled monuments, and HMS Royal Oak is a war grave where diving is prohibited.
At the end of the First World War, the German High Seas Fleet was interned at Scapa Flow, a natural harbour in Orkney. On 21 June 1919, its commander ordered the ships scuttled. Most were later salvaged, but seven major ships remain on the seabed.
What's left
Three battleships remain: the König, Markgraf and Kronprinz Wilhelm. They lie upside down or on their sides at depths of around 35 to 47 metres. Four light cruisers, the Cöln, Dresden, Brummer and Karlsruhe, lie in shallower water and are more intact in parts.
The flow also holds blockships, sunk to protect the anchorage, and other wrecks from both world wars.
Conditions
Scapa Flow is cold, often dark and can be tidal. Visibility varies from excellent to poor. A drysuit, good undergarments and a heated vest are common. The battleship depths are well suited to trimix or rebreathers, which help with narcosis and gas density in cold, demanding conditions.
Protected wrecks
The remaining German wrecks are scheduled monuments. Divers can visit them, but disturbing or removing anything is prohibited. HMS Royal Oak, sunk by a U-boat in 1939 with heavy loss of life, is a designated war grave. Diving on it is not permitted without special authorisation.
Planning notes
- Most divers use one of the established dive boats from Stromness, which have deep knowledge of the wrecks.
- Plan for cold and for long decompressions in cold water.
- The large, collapsing structures of the battleships make penetration risky. Get local advice on current conditions.
- Orkney's weather can cancel dives. Allow spare days.