Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow is a large natural harbor enclosed by the Orkney Islands off the northern coast of Scotland, historically used as a major British naval anchorage in both World Wars. It is best known for the scuttled remains of the German High Seas Fleet, sunk there by its own crews in 1919, with several battleships and light cruisers such as the Koenig, Kronprinz Wilhelm, and the cruisers Karlsruhe, Coln, and Dresden still resting on the seabed. Depths across the wrecks generally range from around 12 to 45 metres depending on which vessel and section is being dived, with the site as a whole reaching a maximum of around 60 metres on some of the deeper battleship remains, where diving is rated technical. Cold water, dim light, and the scale of the larger hulls make several of the wrecks better suited to experienced divers, particularly on those deeper sections. Diving here typically departs from Stromness or Houton by boat, with dive charters familiar with the fleet's history and layout. Visibility and temperature vary with the season, and the site remains one of the more significant wreck diving locations in Europe due to the sheer number and condition of the ships.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Keeled TubewormSpirobranchus triqueterReported here · unconfirmed
• OrcaOrcinus orcaReported here · unconfirmed