A C-47 Dakota — the military version of the Douglas DC-3 — was scrapped and put on the seabed off Kaş in July 2009 as an artificial reef, and now lies at 22 metres. The airframe is 20 metres long with a 29-metre wingspan, and the cargo bay is open enough that novice divers can swim inside it.
Also known as C-47 Dakota, DC-3 Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
36.1808° N, 29.6433° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The aircraft is the whole dive: one object at 22 metres rather than a reef to follow, so the plan is built around the airframe itself. It is 20 metres long with a 29-metre wingspan, small enough to look over in a single unhurried circuit and big enough that the wings, the fuselage and the tail each take a little time. No published account sets out a route around it, so take the order of the dive from the guide's briefing rather than from a page.
The cargo bay is the set piece and a forgiving one: the aircraft was scrapped and sunk in July 2009 to make an artificial reef, and the local site listing rates the hold as open enough for novice divers to go inside. Depth rather than the opening is what shapes the dive — 22 metres is past entry-level depth limits — so agree the profile with the guide before you get wet, keep the time at depth short and spend the end of the dive shallow above the wreck.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Douglas DC-3 (C-47 Dakota)
- Type
- Transport aircraft
- Length
- 20 m (66 ft)
- Sunk
- 2009
- Cause
- Scrapped and deliberately sunk as an artificial reef
- Lies
- On the seabed at 22 m, cargo bay open to divers
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season |
Season follows Kaş: Apr–Nov is the operating season with Jun–Oct warmest and calmest; most centres close over winter.
Know before you go
- The cargo bay is an overhead environment, short and open though it is: follow the guide in, keep the exit in sight, and stay off the floor so the silt does not come up behind you.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the sunken aircraft in Kaş?+
It sits at 22 metres, past entry-level depth limits, so it needs a deeper qualification. The site listing notes that novice divers can enter the cargo bay, but the depth rather than the short swim inside is what shapes the profile.
Sources
- C-47 Dakota (Wreck) - Kas dive site — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
- Kaş — Wikipedia
- Douglas DC-3 — Wikipedia
In The Logbook
- Cheapest places to scuba dive, and the catchTrip planning · 15 min read
- Your first wreck dive: what to expect and whereFirst dives · 6 min read
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