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Colour-shaded sonar map of a strait seabed with labelled wreck outlines lying across the channel, a scale bar and a north arrow — Ekenabben ship cemetery, Karlskrona & the Blekinge Archipelago

Karlskrona & the Blekinge Archipelago · Sweden · Wreck

Ekenabben ship cemetery

Ships of the line scuttled across a strait to bar the way into Karlskrona

Photo: Alexander Rauscher, SMTM. · CC BY-SA 4.0

A cluster of old wooden naval wrecks in the Djupasund strait between Sturkö and Tjurkö, scuttled to block the inlet to Karlskrona. It is a shallow shore dive from the harbour at Ekenabben. Divers come for the chance to explore ships of the line from the age of sail, among them Enigheten, built at Karlskrona in 1696.

Also known as Ekenabben Vrakkyrkogård, Djupasund wrecks.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Ekenabben ship cemetery: typical dive 7–12 m (23–40 ft), deepest point 14 m (46 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit7 m12 m14 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

56.1021° N, 15.6329° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive starts from the pier at Ekenabben and heads out over a bottom of sand and stone until the slope begins. The wrecks lie across the Djupasund strait at about 12 m on sand and stone, and the usual dive stays between 7 and 10 m, with the deepest water at 14 m. A lot of sediment has settled on the wrecks, and a careless fin kick can turn the visibility poor.

The wreck

Vessel
Scuttled Swedish naval ships, including Enigheten
Type
Wooden naval sailing ships
Cause
Sunk on purpose in the Djupasund strait as a barrier across the inlet to Karlskrona
Lies
On a bottom of sand and stone at about 12 m, spread across the Djupasund strait

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Ekenabben ship cemetery
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairFairFairGoodGoodFairFairFairFair

Season follows Karlskrona & the Blekinge Archipelago: No month is set apart as the best; the sea is warmest in August at about 18 °C, and try-dives in the sea at Karlskrona run weekly from mid-July to late August.

Know before you go

  • The active fishing port of Ekenabben is close by, so boats pass over the site; a diver-down flag and an escort boat are recommended.
  • Heavy sediment lies on the wrecks and can leave the visibility poor once stirred up.

Sources

  1. Ship cemetery at Ekenabben — Wikipedia
  2. Octopus Dykcenter dive sites — Octopus Dykcenter
  3. Six warships identified outside Karlskrona — Swedish National Maritime Museums (Vrak)

Photo credits

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