Wreck diving conjures up visions of treasure hunting and while nowadays removing items from shipwrecks is generally frowned upon (there are many dive shops and private collections adorned by brass “treasures” brought up from the depths and painstakingly restored), thanks to photography and photogrammetry, there are increasingly sophisticated means available to preserve their memory.

For most, the appeal of wreck diving is to delve into history; a successful wreck dive is as much about seeing something that one has read about, studied and already knows, as it is about the dive itself. In fact, the knowledge of the story behind the wreck can transform a misshapen lump on the seabed into a 16th Century cannon, last fired on King Henry VIII’s 16th birthday, or a mass of twisted metal can be re-imagined as a ship, steaming across the Atlantic before being hit by a torpedo.

For others, capturing wrecks in images has become the driver for this passion, creating new techniques in underwater photography including long exposures with the aid of tripods, photo mosaics and photogrammetry. In the 21st century, wreck diving is much more about preserving through images than bringing back souvenirs.

The reputation of wreck diving is that of darkness and danger and indeed, venturing into a potentially unstable overhead environment is something which should not be undertaken lightly. Redundant equipment including reels and lights, are absolutely essential for more than the most cursory wreck explorations. Training and experience are essential requirements before going into most wrecks, but there is still plenty of inspiration and wonder to be found just by looking at the remains of a ship and its cargo as they sit on the sea bed.