Algarve · Portugal · Wreck
Propellers Paradise
A five-bladed propeller in the middle of a broken trawler
An old tuna trawler, never identified, broken up on the seabed at 11 to 12 m north of Ponta da Piedade. The site takes its name from the five-bladed propeller lying at the centre of the wreckage, and the shallow depth makes it a first wreck rather than a serious one. Seahorses turn up here occasionally.
Also known as The Desert.
Where it is and how deep
37.1058° N, 8.6608° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck sits in no more than 11 to 12 m of water, so the whole dive happens in daylight and there is no depth budget to manage. The five-bladed propeller in the middle of the site is the obvious feature and the thing the site is named for; the rest is scattered wreckage of a tuna trawler that no source has been able to put a name to, spread across the bottom around it.
That combination of shallow water and small, broken structure makes this a macro dive as much as a wreck dive: entry-level divers get an easy first wreck out of it, and photographers work the debris slowly. Seahorses show up here occasionally, which is reason enough to swim the edges of the wreckage rather than only the propeller.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Unidentified tuna trawler
- Type
- Tuna fishing trawler
- Cause
- Unknown — the wreck has not been identified
- Lies
- Broken up on the seabed at 11 to 12 m, with a five-bladed propeller at the centre of the site
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Algarve: May–Oct is the settled season with the clearest water; Atlantic swell and cold water shut most operations over winter.
Questions divers ask
Is Propellers Paradise good for beginners?+
Yes. The site is no deeper than 11 to 12 m, the wreckage is broken open rather than enterable, and the operators list it as suitable for entry-level divers.
Sources
- Propellers Paradise — Scubago
- WeDive Lagos — dive sites — WeDive Lagos
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Wall
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Reef
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Wreck
A 64 m survey ship, 12 m in the beam, quoted at 30 to 33 m
A Portuguese Navy frigate, 102.7 m, sunk in 30 m off Portimão
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A navy corvette scuttled in 2012, quoted at 28 m
Wreck
A navy patrol boat scuttled in 2012, quoted at 28 m
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