Three permanent shot lines offer easy access fore, aft and midship. There is something magical about a descent through blue water to see the outline and detail of a large wreck take shape below, especially when in such excellent condition. The superstructure is almost wholly intact and retains its railings, bollards, navigation bridge, funnel, and most dramatically, its deck-mounted anti-aircraft guns.
The site is a great opportunity for those new to wreck diving. Openings have been cut in the deck and hull to create swimthroughs with clear exits, and under the watchful eye of our guides we were able to pass through some of the wreck’ s interior spaces, seeing mess halls with bolteddown tables still in place, or the bridge with deck and telephone still intact. For more experienced divers it is possible to descend further and explore the ship’ s engine rooms.
Azul Diving run a single dive to the site a day, but the wreck feels like it has much to offer and would reward multiple visits, particularly to see how, with time, marine life establishes itself on this newish artificial reef. �
Handy links
Tourism in Madeira: visitmadeira. com Diving in Madeira: tinyurl. com / corvet2 Dive centre: azuldiving. com
A diver pauses in front of the gun
Top-down view of the wreck in great viz
A view of the stern
Light streams into a mess hall
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