Tobermory, Scotland, United Kingdom

SS Hispania

The SS Hispania is a Swedish merchant steamer that struck Sgeir Mor reef in the Sound of Mull on 18 December 1954 and sank with the loss of one life, after the captain remained aboard. The 73-metre wreck stands almost upright on the seabed at 22 to 30 metres, and is widely regarded as one of the best wreck dives in Scotland. The bridge, masts, davits, holds and stern with rudder and propeller are remarkably intact, although superstructure has progressively collapsed over the decades. The hull is densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and feather stars. Visibility in the Sound is reliably 8 to 15 metres in summer because of the relatively sheltered, glacial-fed waters, and water temperature varies between 8 and 14 degrees Celsius. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ballan wrasse, ling, cuckoo wrasse, lobsters, edible crabs and the occasional grey seal. Currents in the Sound are moderate and dives are timed around slack water from Tobermory or Lochaline charter boats.