Belgian North Sea · Belgium · Wreck
Birkenfels
A virtually intact ore carrier lying flat on the bottom far off the Belgian coast
The Birkenfels is a 156 m bulk-ore carrier that sank after a collision in thick fog on 7 April 1966, about thirty miles off Zeebrugge inside Belgium's exclusive economic zone. The hull is virtually intact and lies flat on the bottom at 42 m. Divers come for a long merchant hull far from the coast, where the water carries less sediment.
Where it is and how deep
51.6494° N, 2.5330° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Birkenfels lies flat on the bottom at 42 m at high tide, 54 km from the coast and outside the shipping lanes. Its distance from shore means water with less sediment, which favours observation and underwater photography. Around 120 species have been identified on the wreck's flat and vertical surfaces since the first scientific campaign in 2001.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Birkenfels
- Type
- Bulk-ore carrier
- Length
- 156 m (512 ft)
- Built
- 1951
- Sunk
- 1966
- Cause
- Rammed the German ship Marie Luise Bolten in thick fog; the crew was rescued
- Lies
- Flat on the bottom at 42 m, virtually intact, about thirty miles off Zeebrugge
Built in 1951, the Birkenfels was carrying iron ore from Bremen to the Persian Gulf when she rammed the German ship Marie Luise Bolten in thick fog on 7 April 1966 and sank. The Marie Luise Bolten took her crew off safely.
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 | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Belgian North Sea: Weekend day boats run from the third weekend of May to the third weekend of October; no month stands out, and August has the warmest water.
Dive videos
Birkenfels · Eddy Deboeck on YouTube
Sources
- Birkenfels - DUNE — DUNE
- Wreck Birkenfels - Divingaway — Divingaway
- Study of fauna on the wreck of the Birkenfels — MUMM, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
- BELGIUM - Noord-Hinder - "BIRKENFELS" Wreck buoy — World of Lighthouses
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