HMS Montagu

Best time to dive

April to October; June to September

What you might see

• DolphinLikely

Sightings are seasonal probabilities, not promises - even in peak season nature does its own thing.

Certification & difficulty

Advanced Open Water - advanced conditions (currents/depth); dive within your training.

Snorkelling

Snorkel-friendly - Yes - Lundy is internationally known for snorkelling with its grey seal colony, especially in shallow kelp areas around 5m depth where seals approach and play with snorkellers/freedivers; open to non-certified participants

Safety notes

Strong, rapidly changing tidal currents; remote, weather-dependent access; wreck reduced to a scattered artefact field of armour plate, ribs and gun-mounting fragments - snag/entanglement risk; general boat traffic around the island

Permits & fees

No diving licence is required for HMS Montagu itself (Scheduled Monument but not a licensed Protected Wreck) - by contrast the nearby Iona II and Gull Rock wrecks ARE licensed Protected Wrecks and diving them without a licence is illegal; divers must follow MCZ byelaws and the Seal Code of Conduct (100m distance from seals hauled out, no touching/feeding, <5 knots near haul-out areas, no spearfishing); a landing fee applies to those going ashore on Lundy via the Landmark Trust (amount not found, treat as -)

Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.

Location

Nearest hub: Bideford/Ilfracombe