Nevis · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Wreck
Christena Wreck
An upright 49 m ferry hull dressed in soft corals and crinoids
The Christena is the government ferry that capsized in The Narrows between St Kitts and Nevis in 1970. She now sits upright on sand near the Narrows, a 49 m (160 ft) hull grown over with soft and hard corals and crinoids. Divers come for the wreck itself and for the memorial it has become.
Also known as MV Christena, M/V Christena, Christina Wreck, Christena.
Where it is and how deep
17.2039° N, 62.6480° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The descent reaches the top of the wreck at about 15 m (50 ft). The ferry sits upright on a sandy floor at 22 m (73 ft), so the hull can be followed down its sides to the sand. Soft and hard corals and crinoids cover the structure, and schools of fish hang around it.
Barracuda patrol the wreck, stingrays rest on the sand beside it, and moray eels, lobsters and turtles live in and around the hull. The site is a memorial to those who died in the sinking, and divers keep to looking without touching.
The wreck
- Vessel
- MV Christena
- Type
- Passenger ferry
- Length
- 49 m (161 ft)
- Sunk
- 1970
- Cause
- Capsized and sank within minutes as the captain turned for the coast to run her aground
- Lies
- Upright on a sandy floor at 22 m (73 ft), the top at about 15 m (50 ft), near The Narrows
The Christena was a 49 m (160 ft) government-owned ferry built by Sprostons Ltd in Georgetown, British Guiana, and for 11 years she worked the 19 km (12 mi) Narrows route between Basseterre on St Kitts and Charlestown on Nevis. On 1 August 1970 she capsized in The Narrows: the captain turned the heavy ship towards the coast to run her aground, and she sank in minutes. The disaster left 233 dead.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Stingrays
- Sea turtles
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows Nevis: Diving runs all year; hurricane season lasts from June to November, with the highest chance of a severe storm from August to November.
Know before you go
- The wreck is a memorial to the 1970 disaster: divers look but do not touch anything on it.
Dive videos
Christena wreck in St. Kitts & Nevis. Scuba Diving 2016 | GoPro Hero 4 Silver · Antony D on YouTube
Night Dive on The Christena, Nevis, June 12, 2014 · Julie Hubbard on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Christena wreck need?+
Advanced Open Water suits it: the top of the wreck is at about 15 m and the hull rests on sand at 22 m.
Sources
- Dive Sites - Dive Nevis St. Kitts — Dive Nevis
- Nevis: Dive & Dine — Scuba Diving
- Christena disaster — Wikipedia
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