The Hera For many years this has been one of my favourite wreck dives, possibly because it was my first (way back in 1976). She was a steel four masted sailing ship, sank in 1914 under tragic circumstances (Reference). Today she still makes an interesting dive and on a sunny day the shallow depth and sandy seabed can make it very bright. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and even a swim through (care!). The ship abounds with life and large Pollack can often be seen lined up along the masts and amongst the bow girders (below). The wreck is fairly flat but being on sand it is quite easy to find, look also for some girders that stick up 3-4m in one place. The Stern lies some distance away from the bow and there are some quite large areas that allow for penetration. However, take great care and remember the wreck is 90 years old and must collapse at some time!  The sand is worth exploring as there are often dogfish around and an occasional angler fish like this one photographed in January 2004.     Depth ~18m Rating ****
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