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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Ari Atoll location page.
Overview
Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands is globally renowned for its WWI German High Seas Fleet wrecks, scuttled in 1919. This historic site offers an unparalleled wreck diving experience, with battleships, cruisers, and destroyers lying in depths accessible to advanced divers. The cold, clear waters preserve these maritime giants, providing a unique journey into naval history.
Briefing note
Access to some wreck sites may require specific permits or experienced guides. Strong currents can be present. Advanced wreck diving experience is highly recommended.
What you'll see
2 species curated- year-roundCommon Crab
- year-roundVarious Fish
Sightings evidence
2 records on file- high confidenceCommon Crab
- Last confirmed
- Oct 2023
- Recent records
- 15 within 10 km
- Cluster months
- Year-round
- medium confidenceVarious Fish
- Last confirmed
- Oct 2023
- Recent records
- 20 within 10 km
- Cluster months
- Year-round
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6–8 °C | 5–15 m | moderate |
| Feb | 6–8 °C | 5–15 m | moderate |
| Mar | 7–9 °C | 5–15 m | moderate |
| Apr | 8–10 °C | 8–18 m | moderate |
| May | 9–12 °C | 10–20 m | moderate |
| Jun | 10–13 °C | 10–20 m | moderate |
| Jul | 11–14 °C | 10–20 m | moderate |
| Aug | 12–14 °C | 10–20 m | moderate |
| Sep | 11–13 °C | 8–18 m | moderate |
| Oct | 9–11 °C | 8–18 m | moderate |
| Nov | 7–9 °C | 5–15 m | moderate |
| Dec | 6–8 °C | 5–15 m | moderate |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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