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A red-and-white banded shrimp with long white antennae stands on a pink sponge — Martinique

Martinique · Martinique · Wreck

Amélie wreck

Scattered pieces of the Belem's sister ship in a shallow reserve

Area photo: Waielbi · CC BY-SA 3.0

The Amélie was a 48 m sailing ship, sister of the Belem, that sprang a leak at anchor off Saint-Pierre in 1902 and sank in Anse Turin, where she had been towed for repairs. Her remains lie in scattered pieces no deeper than 9 m inside a nature reserve, and protection has turned the site into a natural aquarium.

Also known as Epave de l'Amélie, Amélie, Raisinier.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Amélie wreck: typical dive to 9 m (to 30 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit9 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

14.7285° N, 61.1815° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Several pieces of the broken wreck lie scattered at 9 m at most, and the site is very easy to reach. Because it is classed as a nature reserve, life has settled on the remains and fish crowd around them, so it suits divers of every level who want to see a wreck in the middle of abundant life.

The wreck

Vessel
Amélie
Type
Sailing ship
Length
48 m (157 ft)
Sunk
1902
Cause
Sprang a leak at anchor and sank in Anse Turin after being towed there for repairs
Lies
In scattered pieces at 9 m at most, off Anse Turin inside a nature reserve

Marine life and season

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

Month-by-month season rating for Amélie wreck
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFairFairFairFairFairGood

Season follows Martinique: February to April is the best window; the wet season runs June to November, with cyclone risk in September and October.

Dive videos

Plongée Martinique HD - Epave de l'Amélie - Réserve · Jo han on YouTube

Sources

  1. A Papa D'lo dive club — sites — A Papa D'lo
  2. Wrecks of Saint-Pierre harbor — Wikipedia
  3. Anse Turin — OpenStreetMap

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