The Carmine Filomena was an Italian steam-powered cargo vessel that ran aground just east of Rat Island in 1937 after leaving South Wales carrying a cargo of coal bound for Genoa.
The wreck still lies where she ran aground with the remains of the bow section in around 8m of water and although the wreck is now well broken, sections of the hull, propeller shaft and steel ribs are still identifiable.
This dive is relatively shallow and the majority of the site is now covered in a spectacular kelp forest home to cuckoo and ballan wrasse, pollack, dogfish and conger eel. Cuttlefish are occasionally seen at the wreck whereas starfish, cotton spinners (sea cucumbers), spider crab, snakelocks anemones and candy-stripped worms are all common.
For further details of the wreck please see 'A Guide to Lundy's Marine Wildlife' available from the Lundy Shop. Please note that the Carmine Filomena can either be dived at slack water or on a flood tide.