Built as a cargo vessel in Italy in 1923 and named “Carso 41”, this little ship had an unlucky past. For the first twenty years the main job for this Liberty ship was to transport goods around the world. During World War Two the ship was captured by the British in 1943 and renamed the “Empire Tana”, and with the D Day invasion at Normandy drawing closer it was decided that the ship would be sunk and used as a breakwater, sheltering the troops from the oncoming tide as they made their way to the beach. In June 1944 she was sunk upright just off the beach at Ouistreham. With the success of the invasion the war was soon to end, and then the cleanup campaign was to begin. In 1947 the ship was refloated and sold to John Lees of Belfast on behalf of the British Iron and Steel Salvage Company. While she was being towed to John Lee’s yard in Ballyhenry Bay to be scrapped she ran aground in Strangford Lough. Attempts were made to refloat her but all failed. There have been many salvage operations on the ship, which now lies in two sections; the bow is about 100 metres away from the stern section and is closer to John Lees yard, hence the local name for the wreck, “Inner and outer Lees”. In 1994 a depth charge was found on the ship, the navy was called in and a controlled explosion ensured that the vessel was safe. At low tide parts of the ship can be seen above the surface.

The reason “Irish divers are always smiling” is that they have some awesome dives sites around Ireland’s coastline that would keep the most sceptical of UK divers happy for hours.  With colour at every turn and visibility that averages 10 metres, you won’t know where to look or where to dive first. I was diving on the wreck of the Empire Tana which is lying about a 5 minute rib ride from Portaferry Harbour in Strangford Lough with my dive guide Jim Delaney of DV Diving. Because the wreck is in two sections and known locally as the “inner and outer Lees” and because you only get a window of 30 minutes to dive the whole wreck, we decided to jump in and spend 15 minutes exploring the bow section (the inner Lees) first, and then surface and get back on the boat for the short journey to where we would then descend on the stern section (the outer Lees). Once buddy checked it was a backward roll over the side. We made our descent on the starboard side of the wreck which lies at an angle from the surface to a depth of 15 metres, and as soon as my head was under the water I could see the ocean floor. Jim led the way pointing out the various anemones and large sea oranges that cover the seabed. The bow section of the wreck measures around 30 metres in length and is literally covered in anemones and dead man’s fingers, so we spent some time here taking photos and looking for some of the smaller critters. Reaching the end of the wreck we turned right and immediately in front of us were the mangled remains of corridors, cabins and probably storage areas.  This is a good time for me to mention the specialties that I would recommend on this dive – Wreck diver, as this dive does have areas that you can penetrate; Dry suit, so that you can stay warm as the water can be a little bit chilly; Peak Performance Buoyancy, so that you can explore the wreck and take photos without kicking up the silt; and as you need to use a boat to get to the site, the Boat specialty is an obvious choice.

Jim has dived on this wreck more times than he can remember, and he expertly guided me through the remains pointing out areas of interest and the many creatures that have made the wreck their home. We spotted a large conger eel peering back at us watching our every move, with its body hidden under the tangled metal and out of view. Edible crabs submerged beneath the sand with just the top of their shells and claws showing, and sea urchins were dotted along the seabed. Brightly coloured sun stars and star fish can also be found feasting on the mussel beds on the port side of the ship. The area surrounding the entire wreckage is a marine conservation area and is literally teaming with life; wrasse, Pollack, and bib can all be seen swimming above your head, and depending on the time of year that you dive here, you may even get to see sun fish and basking sharks. On the ocean floor you may find Octopus, Lobsters and Dogfish all hunting their prey.

With so much to see the time went quickly, and it wasn’t long before we had to surface and get back on the rib and move to the stern section of the wreck, the outer Lees.

Another quick buddy check and away we went. We made our descent along the starboard side of the wreck which like the bow is covered in anemones, with sagartiidae and orange and white dead man’s fingers being the most dominant. We found some more large orange sponges decorating the rocks on the ocean floor, with some of them measuring over a metre wide. As we continued on we came to the rudder that is still intact and which makes a good swim through; the prop shaft is still there, although the propeller has long since been salvaged. Making our way round to the port side of the wreck we did find that there was a slight current pushing against us, so Jim lead the way inside the wreck. Although not as open as the bow section, there were still areas that could be penetrated and explored; and with part of the ship’s last cargo being the transportation of ammunition to the allies, you may find the odd bullet lying around (but if you are lucky enough to see one please leave it where you have found it). This wreck really is something special and would suit all levels of experience and it is tempting to enter the wreck and have a good look around, BUT do not enter the wreck without the use of a guide and without the wreck specialty. Let’s keep diving safely.

As I mentioned earlier, you only get 30 minutes to explore this wreck and then the tide starts to gather pace, which can be as fast as 6 knots. If I was to be asked for advice on diving this wreck I would say spend a long weekend here diving each section for the full amount of time and you won’t believe the amount of colourful life in front of your very eyes. Once back on board the rib it was a fast trip back to Portaferry Harbour where we manoeuvred the boat on to the trailer. It was then time for the pub for that all important pint… well you have to try the Guinness while you’re there, don’t you?

About DV Diving

Father and son Tony and David Vincent have owned and run DV Diving, a PADI 5 Star IDC centre and HSE assessment centre, for over 16 years. They have their own 8 metre rib which is fitted with twin engines to get you to those dive sites quickly and smoothly, and they offer RYA courses as well. They have a well stocked shop that has everything a diver could possibly need or want.  If you require accommodation, there is a self contained apartment attached to the shop that can at a squeeze sleep four people. Along with being able to teach just about every specialty that PADI has to offer, Tony, David and my dive guide Jim Delaney, one of the centres instructors, are all HSE commercial instructors too, enabling you if you feel the need to pursue a career as a commercial diver. The team have also appeared as body doubles in films and documentaries that have been made around Ireland’s coastline. One of Jim’s most famous projects was a series of underwater programs commissioned by the BBC called “Water World”, where he worked with many of the cameramen that filmed the Blue Planet and showed just how clean and clear Ireland’s waters are. They are a fun bunch and a laugh a minute.

How to get there

I travelled from Gatwick to Belfast International with Easyjet and I can tell you it wasn’t cheap – by the time I had paid for my luggage which was 10 Kilos overweight and for the taxes and then for my breakfast, I had spent £150.00! Easyjet gave me an extra 12 kilos weight allowance when I complained that it was sports equipment and then charged me £20.00 for handling it. There are a number of ferries that operate from England to Ireland and all of them offer some really good deals so it is worth spending time on the internet searching for a time and a price that suits you.

From Belfast follow the A20 to Newtownards. From Newtownards take the Portaferry road. After approximately 4 miles you will pass Ards sailing club on your right-hand side; take the next left turn into Mount Stewart road and you will find DV Diving approximately 2 miles down on the left hand side.

You can contact Dave or Tony at DV Diving either by emailing them at info@dvdiving.co.uk or by calling them on 028 9186 1686 or 028 9146 4671. Alternatively, you can visit the website at www.dvdiving.co.uk.