You might have already heard regarding Cyprus shipwrecks. If you are a diver, you may have probably heard about the Zenobia shipwreck, but in Cyprus, there is much more. There are about 13 wrecks that lie along the coastline.
Some of them you can see over the sea, but some only by diving deep and with having an appropriate certification. Near some of them it is forbidden to dive. There are a lot of underwater attractions such as caves, wrecks, antique objects, and unusual sea inhabitants. All of it makes Cyprus one of the most attractive place for sailing and diving.
The water in Cyprus is crystal clear almost all year round. From Limassol marina just several miles away, you can discover exciting places to sail, dive and snorkeling. In this article we will describe the shipwrecks that you may find in the Limassol area, but in Cyprus there are much more.
The Akrotiri Shipwreck is a wreck site with a most interesting history. The ship itself, known as the Mav Achaios, was built in 1932 and was owned by Akarnania Maritime Company. In the 1970s, it was loaded up with wood. The ship had to transport the wood from Yugoslavia towards Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea. However, a fire onboard and heavy storm swept through the ship, which ran aground in the Akrotiri peninsula and sunk. All the crew escaped alive.
Because of the water depth in the Akrotiri Peninsula, that is only about 7 meters, the ship was submerged partially when it reached ashore. Nowadays, it stands halfway out of the water. Its rusted shell creates an enchanting image. This wreck is also known as the 'Three Stars Shipwreck.'
It is gorgeous during sunset when the entire area becomes bathed in orange and red hues, which glow brightly against the wreckage and reflect off the water. A lot of divers used to dive here.
In this area, you can find the Akrotiri Fish Reserve and the dive sites of Shark Coves and Twin Rocks. Collectively, they are home to bream and sea bass, groupers, moray eels, as well as octopus. You can occasionally see Green and Loggerhead turtles at Sharks Coves and Twin Rocks, along with the occasional Mediterranean Seal. Divers may access the area by boat.
The Pharses ll is an open deck twin-hatched cargo ship that sank not far from Limassol bay during a storm in 1980. It lies practically about 21 meters underwater on its starboard side.
The 1,000-tonne ship can be entered, but only under strict supervision. This dive-site provides an excellent opportunity to admire marine life. Advanced open water qualification (AOW) required to dive in this area. Access is by boat only.
As part of an ongoing program to promote dive tourism in Cyprus, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and other authorities are creating artificial reefs and sinking new wrecks all around the Cyprus coastline. As a result, Cyprus gets a quick development of marine life that is really amazing.
Constandis was a fishing vessel. It was purposely sunk as a recreational dive site in Limassol Bay, Cyprus. This ship was built in the Soviet Union in 1989, its name was 'Zolotets' and was registered in Cyprus in the late 1990s, operated in the eastern Mediterranean.
Lady Thetis was a Cyprus passenger ship also purposely sunk in Limassol bay around 200m from the Constandis. The original name was "Reiher." The vessel operated as a coastal passenger vessel, having been assembled in Hamburg in 1953 and registered in Cyprus in 1990.
Both vessels were intentionally sunk just in front of Limassol (Dasoudi beach) in February 2014. The Constandis sits in around 24 meters deep and has the motor, net reels, and pylons on the outside as well as empty cabins, engineering rooms, and even dismantled engines viewable on the inside. The Lady Thetis lies in approximately 18 meters of water. The Limassol wrecks are great playgrounds for experienced and progressing divers.
Near the Limassol Old Port, a cargo ship lies at the bottom of the sea. In 2006, he was discovered by videographers, who explored a section of the coast between the New and Old ports using a drone. It lies at a depth of 10-12 meters. During the low tide, its hull can protrude over the water for half a meter.
Zenobia shipwreck rated as one of the top ten wrecks diver sights in the world. It lies on her port side with 104 articulated lorries and trucks, which can still be found alongside the wreck. MS Zenobia was a Swedish built Challenger-class RO-RO ferry launched in 1979 that capsized and sank in the Mediterranean sea, close to Larnaca, Cyprus, in June 1980 on her first voyage.
Few currents and the warm water in this area make it an ideal site for all qualified divers, whether it is first wreck dive or you want a series of technical penetration dives. The marine life in and around the wreck is unique in Cyprus. Nowhere else you will get the chance to see grouper, barracuda, tuna, turtle and triggerfish, etc. the list is endless and all at the same dive site.
The water is so clear you can see it just from snorkeling at the surface, or even from a glass-bottomed boat.
The easiest way to reach these shipwrecks is by chartering a boat. Blobalia Yachting offers you a nice range of sailing yachts and catamarans, as well as advice for diving in these areas. So your charter holidays become unforgettable and exciting of discovering new under water places and underwater sea life. Choose and book your charter vacations with Globalia Yachting.
