Aeolian Islands · Italy · Wreck
Lisca Bianca Wreck
An upright British freighter with its propeller still in place
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY 4.0
The Lisca Bianca wreck is the British cargo ship Lanishen, lying off the islet of Lisca Bianca near Panarea. The hull sits upright on the seabed, so divers can take it in from above before working along the hold to the stern and its propeller. It is a deep wreck dive reached on day trips from Lipari.
Also known as Relitto di Lisca Bianca, Lisca Bianca, Lanishen.
Where it is and how deep
38.6360° N, 15.0672° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The bow comes into view at 28 m, and because the ship sits upright on the bottom divers can look down on its deck. The bulkheads of the cargo hold shelter lobsters, moray eels and bream, with sea fans, noble pen shells and large starfish fixed among them. The stern lies at 42 m, where the propeller is still intact and in plain sight. The deepest point of the site lies at 46 m.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Lanishen
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Cause
- Struck the rocks of Lisca Nera
- Lies
- Upright on the seabed off Lisca Bianca, bow at 28 m and stern at 42 m
The Lanishen was an English merchant ship that went down off Panarea in the 1900s. Its loss is told two ways: as a ship that struck the rocks of Lisca Nera, and as a British freighter deliberately sunk during the Depression as an insurance scam. The hull now rests off Lisca Bianca, one of the small islets and rocks that ring Panarea.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Aeolian Islands: Lipari's centre dives April to November and Vulcano's May to October; no month is singled out as best, and July and August are crowded.
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Lisca Bianca wreck need?+
Deep training. The bow is the shallowest part at 28 m, the stern and propeller lie at 42 m, and the deepest point of the site lies at 46 m.
Sources
- Exploring the depths: top 10 diving spots in Sicily — Il Giornale dei Marinai
- Panarea — VisitSicily
- Diving the Aeolians — Rough Guides
- Immersioni guidate — Diving Center La Gorgonia
Photo credits
- A low pale rock islet with white, yellow and pink faces rising from deep blue open sea under a clear sky by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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