Catania & the Cyclops Islands · Italy · Wreck · Wall
Terni Wreck
Capsized 50 m wreck at the foot of an underwater cliff, 38–42 m
Area photo: Castielli · CC BY-SA 3.0
A capsized vessel roughly 50 m long resting on sand at 38–42 m at the base of an underwater cliff, a few minutes by boat off Catania and only about 50 m from shore. The area's flagship wreck dive, combining a cliff descent with wreck exploration, for divers holding advanced and deep certifications.
Also known as Capo Mulini Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
37.5912° N, 15.1778° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive pairs a cliff with a wreck. From the boat you descend alongside the underwater cliff face, and at its base, on sand at 38–42 m, lies the capsized hull — a vessel of approximately 50 m resting parallel to the coast only about 50 m from shore. Bottom time at this depth is short, so the descent is direct and the tour planned before you leave the surface.
The structure is divided into three sections, and the central area resembles a tunnel — the most distinctive stretch of the swim along the hull. At the cavity of the wheelhouse the bow thruster shows in full, its blades 4 m across. A large moray eel is resident in the wreck. Currents are possible but infrequent; when your plan is done, you leave the hull and make the long staged ascent up the cliff face.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Terni
- Type
- Unidentified vessel
- Length
- 50 m (164 ft)
- Cause
- Unknown — no published account of the sinking has been found
- Lies
- Capsized on sand at 38–42 m at the base of an underwater cliff, parallel to the coast
The wreck's identity is unresolved: no build date, sinking date or original name has been published, and searches of wreck registers found no matching record near Catania. The name 'Taikosan Maru', attached to this wreck by a single catalogue entry, is a documented error — the only recorded ship of that name was a Japanese vessel mined off Japan in 1945. Local operators simply dive it as the Terni wreck. A second, independent catalogue (Wannadive, listing it as 'Capo Mulini Wreck') gives a position about 200 m from that Scubago entry, at a similar depth (40–45 m) and a short boat ride from shore, corroborating a single physical wreck known locally under several informal names.
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 | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Catania & the Cyclops Islands: Dived year-round; late summer and autumn add pelagics at Capo Molini, and winter water drops to about 14°C.
Questions divers ask
What certification do you need for the Terni wreck?+
Advanced plus deep certification is compulsory. The capsized hull lies on sand at 38–42 m at the base of an underwater cliff, a few minutes by boat off Catania.
Sources
- Terni Wreck Dive — Il Faro Diving
- Jonio Pro-Dive Catania — PADI Travel
- Capo Mulini Wreck — Wannadive
More dive sites in Catania & the Cyclops Islands
Resident groupers, morays and large octopus below a prince's old residence
The Mediterranean's largest anemone, Alicia mirabilis, on a night-diveable shoal
Basalt platform dropping steeply to 40 m under the lighthouse
Reef
Big morays in the cracked basalt of three rounded outcrops
Pearly razorfish over the sand below the Norman castle
Reef
Large cerianthids in four colours on night explorations of the sand
Eight ancient anchors on a fixed line, 1st century BC to admiralty types
Reef
Shoal complex and summer drift on the reserve's southern boundary
Similar dives elsewhere
A 1981 cargo wreck whose crane still breaks the surface; the bow section rests at 24 m
The split bow of a WWII landing ship at the foot of a wall at 30 m
The Ghost Ship: an intact 20 m motor-sailboat on sand at 38 m
A scattered cargo wreck on a reef running from 2 m to 35 m