Ponza & the Pontine Islands · Italy · Wreck
Relitto LST 349 - Poppa
A WWII landing ship's stern, in navigation trim and partly penetrable at 19 m
Area photo: Seba Sofariu from Dublin, Ireland · CC BY 2.0
The stern half of LST 349, a landing ship lost in the Second World War, sits in navigation trim off Ponza at a maximum depth of 19 m and can be partly entered. It is the shallower of the wreck's two sections, dived separately from the bow, and is reached by dinghy from the island; groupers and moray eels shelter inside and spirographs have colonised the steel.
Also known as LST 349 Stern.
Where it is and how deep
40.9280° N, 12.9645° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dinghy puts you in over the stern section, which lies in navigation trim, upright as if still under way, with its deepest point at 19 m. Drop onto the structure and take an outside circuit first to read the wreck: this is the after half of a Second World War landing ship, and the bow is a separate dive. Groupers hold in the sheltered spaces of the hull, moray eels look out from the openings, and spirographs, the fan worms, have settled across the plating.
Parts of the stern can be entered. The source describes it as partly penetrable rather than as a full swim-through, so treat every opening as an overhead: go only where the exit stays in sight, and only with training and a guide. With a maximum depth of 19 m the whole dive stays inside Open Water limits and bottom time is generous, which makes this the gentler of the two LST 349 sections. Seahorses, eagle rays and dolphins have been seen here less often, so glance into the blue as well as at the metal. Finish over the top of the structure and ascend.
The wreck
- Vessel
- LST 349
- Type
- Second World War landing ship (LST)
- Sunk
- 1944
- Cause
- Ran aground off Ponza on 26 February 1944 and was lost
- Lies
- Stern section in navigation trim, upright, at a maximum depth of 19 m; partly penetrable
Marine life and season
- Groupers
| 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 Ponza & the Pontine Islands: Diving runs April to early November and all but stops December–February; water peaks at 23–24°C in August–September and is down to 14–15°C in March–April. Naples ferries are summer-only.
Know before you go
- The stern is only partly penetrable: enter only sections where the exit stays in sight, with overhead training and a guide.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the LST 349 stern?+
The stern section lies in navigation trim with a maximum depth of 19 m, which keeps the whole dive within Open Water limits. The bow is a separate, deeper dive at 30 m.
Can Open Water divers dive the LST 349 at Ponza?+
Yes for the stern: the source lists it as suitable for Open Water divers. Only the partly penetrable interior calls for overhead training and a guide.
Sources
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