Larnaca · Cyprus · Wreck
Zenobia Wreck
A cargo of 104 tractor-trailers went down with the ship
Photo: Easydivers · CC BY-SA 4.0
A 172 m roll-on/roll-off ferry that capsized on her maiden voyage in June 1980 and settled on her port side in about 42 m of water, roughly 1,500 m off Larnaca. The top of the wreck sits at 18 m and the ship is dived in graded stages, from a simple swim along the starboard side to dives inside the upper car deck and the accommodation block.
Also known as MS Zenobia, Zenobia.
Where it is and how deep
34.8894° N, 33.6508° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Boats run out about 1,500 m from Larnaca, and the descent lands on the starboard side, which is now the upper flank of the ship. The top of the wreck sits at 18 m and the shallowest swim along the starboard side runs at about 16 m, which is why that first pass works as the orientation dive. A ship lying on her port side takes reading: decks stand as walls and railings run vertically.
The next stage moves inside the upper car deck and the accommodation block, and the cargo is what stops people. Zenobia went down fully loaded, with 104 tractor-trailers and an estimated £200 million of freight aboard. Those dives are graded as more advanced than the swim along the outside of the hull, and they are pitched at divers with some wreck experience rather than offered as a first look at the ship.
Deeper again are the lower car deck and the engine room, which run down toward the seabed at about 42 m. These are the far end of the site and suit only very experienced divers: the depth alone rules out most recreational plans, and both are enclosed. The ship is dived in these grades rather than as one route, so how much of her you see is set by your training and experience rather than by the site.
The wreck
- Vessel
- MS Zenobia
- Type
- Challenger-class roll-on/roll-off ferry
- Length
- 172.2 m (565 ft)
- Built
- 1979
- Sunk
- 1980
- Cause
- Capsized after a software error in the ballast computer pumped excess water into her side tanks
- Lies
- On her port side in about 42 m, roughly 1,500 m off Larnaca
Zenobia was launched at Kockums Varv AB in Sweden on 11 August 1979. At around 2:30 am on 7 June 1980, on her maiden voyage, the computerised pumping system was forcing excess water into her side ballast tanks because of a software error; she capsized and sank off Larnaca, taking down 104 tractor-trailers and an estimated £200 million of cargo. There were no casualties. The captain's navy blue Lada, the only car on board, went with her.
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 | Prime | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Larnaca: Diveable year-round: Jun–Oct is warmest with water above 23°C; Dec–Feb runs 16–18°C with the clearest water and the quietest moorings.
Know before you go
- The lower car deck and engine room are genuine overhead environments reaching toward 42 m; they need wreck training, planned gas and a guide who knows the route.
- The ship lies on her port side, so corridors run vertically and railings become ladders; orientation and buoyancy inside the structure take more work than the depth alone suggests.
Photos from Zenobia Wreck
dronepicr · CC BY 2.0
Easydivers · CC BY-SA 4.0
Easydivers · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Zenobia Wreck, Cyprus, 2013 - HD high definition - Ranked TOP 10 of the worlds best Wreck Dives · alanph1 on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Zenobia wreck?+
She rests on her port side with the seabed at roughly 42 m and the top of the wreck accessible at 18 m. The shallowest route, along the starboard side, runs at about 16 m, so the profile is set by your training rather than by the site.
Do you need to be an advanced diver for the Zenobia?+
Not for the shallow route: the starboard side at 16 m suits newly qualified divers, and PADI Advanced Open Water reaches the top of the wreck at 18 m. The upper car deck and accommodation block call for wreck experience, and the lower car deck and engine room only suit very experienced divers.
Sources
- MS Zenobia — Wikipedia
- Larnaca — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Divers exploring the capsized car deck of the Zenobia wreck in blue open water by Easydivers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Close-up of an articulated truck's wheels and chassis resting on the Zenobia wreck by dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Divers swimming past encrusted superstructure and cargo on the Zenobia wreck by Easydivers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Turquoise water view of the Zenobia's hull structure rising from the seabed by Easydivers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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