Egadi Islands · Italy · Wreck
Palumbo Wreck
A salt freighter lying in the lee of a rock that breaks the surface
The cargo ship Carmelo Lo Porto, which went down off Favignana in 1971 while carrying salt, rests beside the Palumbo rock that breaks the surface. The wreck sits in shallow water within the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area, which makes it an easy wreck dive with nudibranchs to look for around it.
Also known as Carmelo Lo Porto.
Where it is and how deep
37.9141° N, 12.3101° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The descent is made just south of the elongated Palumbo rock, whose top shows above the water and marks the spot. The wreck of the Carmelo Lo Porto lies on the bottom between 15 and 18 m, so the whole dive stays at one level, and the wreck is worth searching for the nudibranchs that are often found around it.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Carmelo Lo Porto
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Sunk
- 1971
- Cause
- Went down on 23 June 1971 while carrying a cargo of salt
- Lies
- South of the Palumbo rock, between 15 and 18 m
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Egadi Islands: June to September is the best stretch across the islands, and Marettimo's best period runs from May to October.
Dive videos
Relitto Palumbo 👌🏻🔝 Favignana 2016 · Peppe Ciccino on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can an Open Water diver visit the Palumbo Wreck?+
Yes. The Carmelo Lo Porto lies between 15 and 18 m, within the limit of Open Water certification, and is reached by boat from Favignana.
Sources
- Palumbo, Wreck — ScubaGo
More dive sites in Egadi Islands
Wreck
Roman wine amphorae from the 1st century BC on sand and seagrass
Wall
A sloping plateau that tips over into a curving wall
Reef
A shoal whose seabed is cut into canyons
Similar dives elsewhere
Tarragona's signature wreck dive, an 18 m ship a few minutes from the quay
A burned wooden steamer on sand at 16–17 m, dived at Open Water level
A small wreck at 22 m reached over rock clusters full of macro
A 1905 trader broken in two on sand at 18 m