The area's one substantial wreck: a cargo steamer of over 70 m, built in 1893, requisitioned by the Regia Marina and torpedoed about a mile off Capo Carbonara in March 1943. Invasive Caulerpa racemosa now blankets most of the plating, with scorpionfish resident on the hull, amberjack passing over it and fan mussels standing in the sediment behind the stern.
Also known as Egle Wreck, Piroscafo Egle.
Where it is and how deep
39.0958° N, 9.5009° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The Egle sits in trim on a detrital bottom at about 35 m, heavily collapsed, which is what three torpedoes and the years since 1943 do to a steamer built in 1893. The marine park lists a second-level certification for the dive and the depth is the reason: this is a single-level bottom dive on sediment, with the length of the hull rather than any change of depth doing the navigation for you.
Most of what you swim over is green. Caulerpa racemosa, the invasive grape alga, blankets the surrounding ground and much of the plating in a dense weave, so the wreck reads as texture before it reads as metal. In the less-lit sections sparse colonies of yellow gorgonian, Eunicella cavolinii, hold on. Scorpionfish are resident and sit exactly where you would expect them to; amberjack come through from open water.
Work aft for the best of the bottom life: a few fan mussels, Pinna nobilis, stand in the sediment right behind the stern. Then watch your gas and your no-decompression time. At this depth the dive is short, and on a hull this long the temptation to make one more pass is the thing most likely to shorten it further.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Egle
- Type
- Cargo steamer, requisitioned as a wartime supply transport
- Length
- 70 m (230 ft)
- Built
- 1893
- Sunk
- 1943
- Cause
- Torpedoed by the Dutch submarine Dolfijn, 29 March 1943
- Lies
- Collapsed but in trim on a detrital bottom at about 35 m
The Egle was a cargo steamer of over 70 m, built in 1893 and registered with the Maritime Compartment of Genoa. Requisitioned by the Regia Marina during the Second World War and put to carrying supplies, she was running from Cagliari to La Maddalena under minesweeper escort when the Dutch submarine Dolfijn hit her with three torpedoes on 29 March 1943, about a mile off Capo Carbonara.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Capo Carbonara: May–Oct is the settled season with the warmest water; the mistral and easterlies close the exposed seccas in winter.
Know before you go
- At about 35 m the bottom time is short — plan gas and no-decompression limits for a single pass and keep the ascent honest.
- The hull is heavily collapsed, so treat the plating as unstable and stay outside the structure rather than looking for a way in.
Dive videos
Immersione 30 metri, Relitto EGLE, Villasimius - Yi 4K Scuba Diving Mediterranean Sea Wreck · ricky.tz.83 on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Egle wreck?+
The wreck lies on a detrital bottom at about 35 m and the marine park lists a second-level certification for the dive. There is no shallower section to work — the hull is collapsed and sits at bottom depth throughout.
What sank the Egle?+
Three torpedoes from the Dutch submarine Dolfijn on 29 March 1943, while the requisitioned steamer was sailing from Cagliari to La Maddalena under minesweeper escort about a mile off Capo Carbonara.
Sources
- Relitto Egle – Immersioni in AMP — Area Marina Protetta Capo Carbonara
- Immersioni in AMP – itinerari consigliati — Area Marina Protetta Capo Carbonara
In The Logbook
- WWII wrecks you can dive, by theatreWrecks · 7 min read
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