Devon

HMS Scylla is a former Royal Navy frigate deliberately sunk in Whitsand Bay, Plymouth in 2004 to create an artificial reef, and is now one of the UK's most popular and accessible wreck dives at 26 m. The vessel has been rapidly colonised by fish, sea fans, and encrusting life, and the clean Atlantic water of the English Channel provides good visibility year-round.

Lundy Island was designated England's first Marine Conservation Zone and offers some of the most exciting and diverse diving in the country, from rocky reefs and kelp forests teeming with spiny lobsters and sea fans to open-water encounters with blue sharks, sunfish, and seals in summer. The island's isolation in the Bristol Channel ensures clean Atlantic water and exceptional marine life density.

Mewstone Ledge is a dramatic rocky reef south-west of Plymouth dropping to 30 m, famous for large shoals of bream and pollack, frequent blue shark sightings in summer, and stunning sea fan communities on the deeper faces. The site's exposure to the open Channel brings clean, nutrient-rich water and often the best visibility in the Plymouth area.

The SS Persier is a Belgian cargo ship sunk in Plymouth Sound in 1918, lying at 28 m and offering an accessible and rewarding wreck dive within the sheltered Sound. The wreck is home to large conger eels, bib, and well-established crustacean populations on the intact boilers and engine room section.

Skerries Bank is a sandy offshore bank off Dartmouth famous for its rays — particularly thornback rays and undulate rays that rest on the sandy seabed — alongside large flatfish, sand eels, and shoals of bream. The gentle topography and sand habitat make it a refreshing contrast to rocky reef dives and a favourite of underwater photographers.

Lundy Island Dive School offers exclusive guided diving packages at England's first Marine Conservation Zone, with overnight stays on the island and expert divemaster guiding through Lundy's spectacular reefs, kelp forests, and seal colonies. Summer packages include blue shark diving, spiny lobster encounters, and the chance to spot basking sharks in the clean Bristol Channel waters.

Plymouth Diving is Devon's premier BSAC-affiliated training and charter centre, offering guided dives to HMS Scylla, the SS Persier, Mewstone Ledge, and seasonal blue shark trips from Plymouth Sound. Their purpose-built dive boat operates year-round from Queen Anne's Battery marina, making the most of Plymouth's outstanding variety of dive sites.