James Fennel
Conditions & tides
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Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
James Fennel is a wreck dive located below the cliffs of Blacknor Fort on the west side of Portland, Dorset. HMT James Fennel was a 215-ton Admiralty trawler built in 1918 that ran aground on 16 January 1920 in thick fog. Fisherman 'Sunny' Saunders guided all 16 crew to safety in darkness using a rope strung to shore, though the captain was lost when he fell into the sea.
The wreck sits at 15–18m with a maximum depth of 18m. The stern stands almost 5m proud of the seabed and carries a large propeller; the engine and boiler are visible amidships, while the smashed bow section is twisted but still in contact with the hull.
The site is well known for its marine life, including cuttlefish, conger eels, lobsters, nudibranchs, and the occasional stonefish. The best diving season runs from November to April, with water temperatures between 26–29°C.
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James Fennel is a boat dive suited to sports divers at an intermediate level, with medium current and great visibility. It is often dived alongside the nearby Encuri/Spaniard wreck in the shallower water close by.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
snakelocks anemoneAnemonia viridisReported here · unconfirmed
Ballan WrasseLabrus bergyltaReported here · unconfirmed
Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatusReported here · unconfirmed
Edible CrabCancer pagurusReported here · unconfirmed
Velvet Swimming CrabNecora puberReported here · unconfirmed
Goldsinny WrasseCtenolabrus rupestrisReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
StonefishStonefishReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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