Scylla Reef - update statement - 2nd December 2011
The National Marine Aquarium continues to closely monitor conditions at the Scylla Reef near to Whitsand Bay in Cornwall, following the discovery last week that a 150ft fishing net is blocking part of the wreck.
Dr David Gibson, Managing Director at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, said: "Earlier today a team of professional divers went down to the wreck, to carry out an initial inspection. However due to very poor visibility, the dive had to be aborted, as it was too dangerous to continue.
"Alongside the dive team, we are continuing to monitor weather conditions very closely, and as soon as the conditions allow, the divers will carry out a second dive on the reef, to assess the damage and help to put plans in place to remove the net."
The National Marine Aquarium continues to strongly advise against any dives over the reef, until further information is available.
Scylla Dive Site Warning - 25th November 2011
The National Marine Aquarium would like to warn any diver that is thinking of diving at the Scylla reef site. We have been informed that there is currently a 150ft monofilament gill net covering a large part of the reef making dive conditions extremely dangerous.
We would like to take the opportunity to strongly advise against any dives over the reef until the situation has been sorted.
Rest assured that we are doing everything possible to resolve this situation and will announce when we feel that normal diving conditions have been met.
Scylla Reef — all you need to know
Scylla Reef was created when the former Royal Navy frigate HMS Scylla was placed on the seabed in Whitsand Bay, south-east Cornwall, after a series of controlled explosions, on 27th March 2004. Since placement the reef has established itself as a centre for scientific research, a habitat increasingly rich in marine life and a unique destination for recreational divers.
It has been estimated that Scylla Reef has attracted over 30,000 divers since placement and has generated in the region of £5m per year for the local economy.
Scientific studies on the colonization of the reef indicate that the reef has now settled into an established community with over 250 species of marine life recorded. The reef now offers a unique opportunity for recreational divers, with appropriate levels of skill and training, to experience a reef community on a relatively intact “wreck”.
Scylla Reef was created so that more recreational divers could enjoy and experience native marine life as we learn more about how it behaves and how it responds to the challenges of global environmental change.
We encourage anyone visiting the reef to take note of the Information for Divers and take all necessary steps to ensure their own safety and the protection of the reef and its inhabitants.