Kvarner · Croatia · Wreck
SS Regolo wreck
Steamer torn from Senj harbour by a snowstorm, sunk at 65 m
Area photo: Nem80 · CC BY-SA 3.0
The SS Regolo was moored at Senj loading timber when a violent snowstorm at 17 degrees below zero cut her from her moorings; despite her steam engine she drifted into the middle of the Velebit Channel and sank in 65 m. She is a technical wreck, home to scorpionfish, lobster, a school of damselfish and the usual Adriatic fish.
Also known as SS Regolo (Wreck).
Where it is and how deep
45.0096° N, 14.8043° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The Regolo is a technical dive: the ship sank in 65 m in the middle of the Velebit Channel, past recreational limits, so the dive is planned around gas and decompression from the start. Descend to the wreck, keep the bottom time to the plan, and treat the survey of the ship as the whole of the dive rather than a prelude to something else.
On the wreck the fish are the ordinary Adriatic mix: scorpionfish on the structure, lobster in the recesses, a school of damselfish over the wreck and other typical Adriatic species. The wreck itself is what you came for, a steamship that lost her fight with the weather and now sits on the channel floor. Keep the survey tight, then ascend and run the decompression.
The wreck
- Vessel
- SS Regolo
- Type
- Steamship, loading timber when lost
- Cause
- Torn from her moorings at Senj by a violent snowstorm and drifted into the Velebit Channel
- Lies
- On the floor of the Velebit Channel at 65 m
The Regolo was moored in Senj harbour, loading a cargo of timber, when a violent snowstorm hit with temperatures 17 degrees Celsius below zero. The ship was cut off from her moorings and, despite the power of her steam engine, drifted towards the middle of the Velebit Channel, where she sank to a depth of 65 m.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Kvarner: Peak season is May to September and conditions hold into October; from winter into early spring the bora churns the water and brings current, with the sea at 12–14 °C.
Know before you go
- Depth: the wreck lies at 65 m, past recreational limits; decompression and gas planning are required.
Sources
- SS Regolo (Wreck) — Scubago — Scubago
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