Seychelles · Seychelles · Wreck · Artificial reef
Ennerdale Wreck
Three sections of a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker in 55 metres
The Ennerdale was a 216-metre Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker that struck an uncharted rock pinnacle on her way out of Port Victoria on 1 June 1970 and sank off Mahe. Her oil threatened the Seychelles, so the hull was blown apart with explosives, and what divers find is a very large ship lying in three sections in about 55 metres, long since colonised as an artificial reef.
Also known as RFA Ennerdale, Ennerdale.
Where it is and how deep
4.5000° S, 55.5167° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
This is a wreck dive on a ship that no longer looks like one. Ennerdale went down on 1 June 1970 after striking an uncharted pinnacle of rock while outbound from Port Victoria to refuel a frigate, and the salvage answer was demolition: charges fired from Wessex helicopters opened the hull so that her oil could not reach the Seychelles. What is left of the 216-metre tanker lies in three sections.
Depth sets the terms. At 30 fathoms the wreck sits past recreational limits, so bottom time is short and one dive covers a fraction of a ship this long; which of the three sections you see is settled on the boat. More than fifty years on the seabed have turned the broken structure into an artificial reef, and that growth, rather than an intact hull, is what the site is dived for now.
The wreck
- Vessel
- RFA Ennerdale
- Type
- Dale-class fleet tanker
- Length
- 216 m (709 ft)
- Built
- 1963
- Sunk
- 1970
- Cause
- Struck an uncharted rock pinnacle off Port Victoria, Mahe
- Lies
- In three sections in about 55 m, broken up by explosive demolition after sinking
Ennerdale was launched on 31 August 1963 as the tanker Naess Scotsman for the Anglo-Norness Shipping Co Ltd, and was chartered to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary from July 1967 as one of three Dale-class tankers. She was the shortest-lived of the class: on 1 June 1970, outbound from Port Victoria to refuel the frigate HMS Andromeda, she struck an uncharted pinnacle of rock and sank. With her cargo threatening the Seychelles, the wreck was destroyed by explosives fired from Wessex helicopters, and it now lies in three sections.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Seychelles: Inter-monsoon periods (Mar-May, Oct-Nov) are calmest with the best visibility; whale sharks pass through the inner-island channels August through October.
Dive videos
Enerdale wreck Mahé Seychelles · Cyril Gicquel on YouTube
Diving Seychelles - The Ennerdale Wreck 23/11/2020 · Fadine “Fadine Self Catering” Self Catering Seychelles on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Ennerdale wreck?+
The wreck lies in 30 fathoms, about 55 metres, which puts it beyond recreational depth limits. Plan it as a deep dive with the training and gas to match.
Is the Ennerdale wreck still in one piece?+
No. After she sank in 1970 the wreck was destroyed with explosives fired from Wessex helicopters, to stop her oil reaching the Seychelles. What is left of the 216-metre tanker lies in three sections.
Sources
- Dale-class tanker — Wikipedia
- RFA Ennerdale (A213) — Wikipedia
- RFA Ennerdale ship information — Historical RFA
- Mahe travel guide — Wikivoyage (German)
In The Logbook
- Deep wreck diving: where recreational stopsWrecks · 8 min read
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