HMS Pheasant

HMS Pheasant was a Royal Navy M-class destroyer that struck a German mine on 1 March 1917 off Hoy in Scapa Flow approaches and sank with the loss of all 89 crew. The 81-metre wreck lies on its starboard side at around 70 metres on a sandy seabed, west of the Old Man of Hoy, and is considered an advanced or technical dive. Despite the depth the wreck remains in good condition, with the bow, bridge area, deck guns, torpedo tubes and stern all clearly identifiable. The hull is densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids. Visibility frequently reaches 12 to 20 metres in summer because of the offshore location and constant tidal flushing, and water temperature stays between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ling and the occasional ballan wrasse. Currents are moderate at depth. The site is dived from Stromness charter boats by mixed-gas technical teams or experienced trimix recreational divers, and is one of the deepest classic wreck dives in Britain.