Piran & Portorož · Slovenia · Wreck · Muck & macro
Maona Rossa
Nudibranchs all over the deck of a wartime Italian cargo ship
The Maona Rossa is a former Italian cargo ship of about 38 m, sunk during the Second World War and now resting between Piran and Savudrija. It is usually an easy wreck dive in calm water. The deck is known for nudibranchs and other small life, and the hull hides more at the bottom.
Also known as Maona, Maona Wreck, Razbitina Maona Rossa.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Piran & Portorož and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
Divers follow the line down from the buoy at the bow and reach the deck at 16 m first. Depending on the dive plan, the dive usually circles the wreck at the bottom at 21 m next, checking the holes beneath the hull where marine life hides. A round of the deck follows, looking for the many nudibranchs and other macro life that usually cover the wreck.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Maona Rossa
- Type
- Italian cargo ship
- Length
- 38 m (125 ft)
- Cause
- Sunk during the Second World War
- Lies
- On the bottom at 21 m, with its deck at 16 m
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Piran & Portorož: Diving runs all year, but winter dives are on demand; summer fills the Piran Punta reef with life and brings a thermocline that can cloud the wrecks.
Know before you go
- In summer the thermocline can sink to the deck, and visibility there is sometimes poor.
Dive videos
Maona - Piranski zaliv · Jana Šubic Jurjavčič on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is the Maona Rossa wreck suitable for newly certified divers?+
It is usually an easy dive with no current. The deck lies at 16 m, while the usual circuit of the bottom reaches 21 m. In summer the thermocline can drop to the deck and cut the visibility.
Sources
- Maona Wreck — Sharky Diving Piran & Portorož
- Potapljaške točke — Nemo Divers
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