Glénan Archipelago · France · Wreck
Orseolo Pietro wreck
A propeller shaft hung with sea fans on a 142 m wartime cargo ship
The Orseolo Pietro is one of the best-known wrecks of the Glénan: a 142 m Italian cargo ship, targeted by RAF aircraft and sunk in 1943 a mile north of Penfret. It rests on muddy sand between 17 and 30 m, with sea fans on its propeller shaft and a shoal of pouting around the hull.
Also known as Orseolo Pietro, Pietro Orseolo.
Where it is and how deep
47.7357° N, 3.9529° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The hull lies on muddy sand, from 17 m on its highest wreckage to 30 m at the seabed, heeled slightly to starboard. With few clear landmarks left, the propeller shaft, decorated with sea fans, serves as the line to follow along the stern. Throughout the dive a dense shoal of pouting swirls around the ruins and stays with the divers.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Orseolo Pietro
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Length
- 142 m (466 ft)
- Sunk
- 1943
- Cause
- Targeted by 20 RAF aircraft and sunk in 1943
- Lies
- Slightly tilted to starboard on muddy sand at 17–30 m, a mile north of Penfret
The Orseolo Pietro was an Italian cargo ship 142 m long and 18 m wide. During the Second World War the Germans requisitioned it and loaded it with food, weapons and tools for Japan. While it lay in the Concarneau channel it became the target of 20 British RAF aircraft, and it was sunk in 1943 a mile north of Penfret island.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Glénan Archipelago: The island dive base on Saint-Nicolas opens from April to October; no peak month is marked within that season.
Know before you go
- The holds are destroyed and the upper parts levelled, so finding a way around the wreck is hard; basic wreck navigation should be mastered before diving it.
Dive videos
Visibilté exceptionnelle sur l'épave du Pietro Orseolo · Jean-Paul Arnoul on YouTube
Sources
- Glénan International Diving Center — Enez Green
- Île de Penfret (OpenStreetMap lighthouse) — OpenStreetMap
- CIP Glénan infos utiles — CIP Glénan
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