James Eagan Layne
Also known as: James Egan Layne
Best time to dive
April to October
What you might see
- NudibranchLikely
Sightings are seasonal probabilities, not promises - even in peak season nature does its own thing.
Certification & difficulty
Technical - advanced conditions (currents/depth); dive within your training.
Snorkelling
Not a snorkel site - Not viable - it is a boat-access wreck lying entirely below 8m in open, tidal water of Whitsand Bay; no snorkelling activity documented
Safety notes
Jagged and deteriorating steel throughout the wreck requiring care on ascent/descent; current and surge across exposed sections; boat traffic at this popular, frequently-dived site; very tight squeezes in propeller-shaft tunnel and other penetration routes not suitable for inexperienced divers; a foul/stale air pocket exists at approx 20m inside the wreck and must never be breathed; a diving fatality was recorded at the site in 2011, underscoring the need for appropriate training before penetration
Permits & fees
No diving permit or site fee is required to dive the wreck itself (it is not a designated protected/war-grave wreck since the crew survived); divers pay standard boat-charter/dive-centre trip fees
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Location
Nearest hub: Plymouth
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand dive report. Coordinates are approximate.