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Cala Gonone & the Gulf of Orosei · Italy · Wreck

Nasello Wreck

An opened-up steamship hull with its engine parts exposed

The Nasello is an Italian steamship sunk by a British submarine in 1943, now lying on sand off Cala Luna, south of Cala Gonone. Gunfire tore the hull open, so divers can see many parts of its machinery, and the dense growth on the steel shelters large scorpionfish, groupers and big moray eels.

Also known as Il Nasello, Nasello.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Nasello Wreck: typical dive 30–34 m (100–112 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit30 m34 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

40.2265° N, 9.6259° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The wreck rests on its port side on a sandy seabed between 30 and 34 m. Shellfire from the submarine tore the hull open, and through the openings divers look into the machinery that drove the ship, with many of its engine parts on view.

The bow and stern sections are both well defined, and at the stern the propeller and rudder are still in place. A thick mixed growth covers the steel, home to large scorpionfish, groupers, slipper lobsters and big moray eels.

The wreck

Vessel
Nasello
Type
Italian steamship
Sunk
1943
Cause
Sunk by gunfire from the British submarine Safari
Lies
On its port side on sand between 30 and 34 m off Cala Luna

The Nasello was an Italian steamship. The British submarine Safari left Algiers on 27 March 1943 with orders to patrol south of Sardinia, and on 3 April it sank the Nasello and the S. Francisco di Paola A with gunfire off the Gulf of Orosei. The shells tore the hull apart, which is why its engine parts lie open today.

Marine life and season

  • Groupers
Month-by-month season rating for Nasello Wreck
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimeGoodFairFair

Season follows Cala Gonone & the Gulf of Orosei: Mid-May to the end of October is the main season; August brings the warmest water.

Dive videos

Diving the Nasello wreck · Sardinia Divers Orosei on YouTube

Questions divers ask

How long is the boat ride to the Nasello wreck?+

15 to 20 minutes south from the port of Cala Gonone to the waters off Cala Luna.

Sources

  1. Il Nasello - Bluforia Diving Center — Bluforia Diving Center
  2. Scuba diving - Argonauta — Argonauta
  3. HMS Safari (P211) — Wikipedia

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