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A spotted grey seal swimming underwater in clear blue-green water, looking towards the camera — Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly · United Kingdom · Wreck

King Cadwallon

Upturned hull ribs and boilers at 28 m on a sloping seabed

Area photo: Jerome Paillet (IFREMER, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale, Centre Bretagne - ZI de la Pointe du Diable - · CC BY 4.0

The King Cadwallon was a 3,275-ton coal steamer of the Glasgow Kings line, built in 1900 and lost in fog in 1906. She now lies on a slope from 15 m to 33 m, where upturned hull ribs and boilers covered in jewel anemones make a good dive for divers extending their depth.

Also known as King Cadwollen.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of King Cadwallon: typical dive 15–33 m (50–108 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 m33 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

No published position for this site — the map shows Isles of Scilly and its other sites; operators know the mooring.

The dive

The wreck lies on a slope from 15 m to 33 m. The boilers sit at about 28 m among rocks covered in primrose and jewel anemones, and the rest of the wreckage lies shallower, with a lot still intact to explore and penetrate. The ribs of the hull lie upside down and form a cradle that divers can swim through.

The wreck

Vessel
King Cadwallon
Type
Coal steamer, 3,275 tons
Built
1900
Sunk
1906
Cause
Lost in fog on passage from Barry to Naples with a cargo of coal, and struck the eastern rocks; the captain and crew got away in the lifeboats.
Lies
On a slope from 15 m to 33 m, with the boilers at about 28 m.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for King Cadwallon
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonFairPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeFairOff-seasonOff-season

Season follows Isles of Scilly: Weather keeps the season short: most charters run from May to September, and a summer storm can still interrupt a trip.

Dive videos

Scilly, King Cadwallon 250624 · Ian Hicks SCUBA on YouTube

Sources

  1. Diving the Isles of Scilly: Wrecks, Reefs, and Seal Encounters — Divernet

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