MV Frontier

The MV Frontier was a fishing vessel that arrived on the island in 1997 and was detained in port for illicit narcotics possession. The ship deteriorated on the surface over time and was sunk to the bottom in 1999. It has since become a famous wreck dive for expert divers, measuring 22 meters to the top of the ship on its starboard side and 28 meters to the bottom.

The MV Frontier is only around 50 meters long, but it remains mainly intact on its starboard side, with most of the superstructure and fittings still intact. Although it is illegal to enter the wrecks according to St Helenian restrictions, it is worth taking a look inside for some atmospheric photographs.

The reef, which is less than 50m from the wreck, is easy to identify by going down the ship's line from the bow – in fact, visibility is so superb that you can clearly make out the reef's shadow on a good day – and returning to the ship is also simple. The Portzic, a wooden fishing vessel confiscated and repossessed by banks after the French skipper failed to satisfy his outstanding debts, was sunk beside the Frontier in 2008 after degrading and becoming unrepairable while held.

A excellent dive would be to start at the wreck, gently drop across the superstructure to the sandy bottom and reef, then return to the ship, level up, and explore the port side before ascending the mooring line to safety stop depth.