what a dive. The wreck of the Hispania, Sound of Mull

The wreck of the Hispania, although now noticeably deteriorating, is still remarkably well preserved despite 40 years at the bottom of the Sound. She is perhaps the perfect wreck and is thought by many to be the greatest wreck in Scotland outside Scapa Flow: divers can usually be assured of good visibility over her; her holds, open superstructure, engine room and deck fixtures provide endless sources of interest; and she has been covered by a particularly rich carpet of plumose anemones and sea squirts, giving her a very distinctive orange and white colouring. She is now one of Scotland's most popular wrecks.

Today, the wreck of the Hispania lies in 25 to 30 metres of water in the middle of the northern section of the Sound of Mull at Latitude 56 34 57.0 N and Longitude 005 59 09.0 W, She is structurally intact and at 237 feet in length is small enough that her layout can easily be grasped in one dive.

The underwater visibility in the Sound of Mull is renowned throughout the UK for its clarity - 20 metres or more is a common report. The Hispania lies upright on her keel with a list of about 15 degrees to starboard which now seems to be getting progressively more pronounced. Although the depth of the seabed is 25 to 30 metres, most of the interesting areas are in the 18 to 25-metre range so a longish dive on her is quite possible. If a current is running it is possible to swim the entire length of the wrecks inside it at shelter deck level, shielded from the tug of the current. There is abundant fish life with cod and saithe drifting over the wreck. Resident multi-coloured wrasse eye visiting divers inquisitively, perhaps hopeful of an easy meal from some prey disturbed by the divers' fin strokes. There is something for everyone on this wreck and so much to see and do that divers have to keep a careful eye on their watch. As the divers ascend, the vivid lines of the Hispania blur beneath them and then, slowly, the wreck merges once more with the background. You will always come up from a dive on the Hispania wanting to go back again. It is definitely a dive not to be missed. l This is an edited extract from Dive Scotland's Greatest Wrecks, by Rod MacDonald available from Mainstream Publishing priced #12.99.

Copyright 1999
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