Portofino Marine Reserve · Italy · Wreck
Relitto Mohawk Deer
A 120 m cargo ship on her side between 20 and 39 m
Area photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich · CC BY-SA 4.0
A 120 m Canadian cargo ship that sank off the promontory in a violent storm in 1967 and now lies on her starboard side down the line of maximum slope, the main wreck sitting between 20 and 39 m. The bow is relatively intact but tilted; further aft the hull has fractured and shed large sheets of metal across the seabed. The reserve rates the dive high difficulty.
Also known as Mohawk Deer wreck.
Where it is and how deep
44.3081° N, 9.1903° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The ship lies on her starboard side along the line of maximum slope, so the dive runs down the hull rather than along a deck. The main wreck sits between 20 and 39 m, while the reserve publishes the site as 6 to 10 m at its shallowest and 35 to 40 m at its deepest. The bow is the most complete part, still recognisable but tilted; further aft the hull is fractured, with large sheets of metal lying across the seabed around it.
The features divers come for are the anchor with its chain and the winch mechanism. The stern section forms a tunnel that looks navigable and is recommended from the outside only. Algae, sponges and yellow coral encrust the metal, and weasel fish, corvina and sea bream hold around the structure, with octopus and moray eels using the broken sections of hull.
This is the reserve's only wreck and the high difficulty rating is earned: narrow passages and structures in a precarious state make going inside genuinely dangerous, and the reserve says the dive should always be made in a group. Dives stay within a circle of 50 m radius around the mooring, which keeps the party on the main body of the wreck rather than out searching the debris field.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Mohawk Deer
- Type
- Canadian cargo ship
- Length
- 120 m (394 ft)
- Sunk
- 1967
- Cause
- Sank during a violent storm
- Lies
- On her starboard side down the maximum slope; bow relatively intact but tilted, hull fractured
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Portofino Marine Reserve: May–Oct is the settled season; visibility is often best in late autumn, and winter storms close the exposed southern walls.
Know before you go
- Narrow passages and structures in a precarious state make the wreck dangerous to enter, with collapse a real risk in the overhead sections.
- The main structure runs to 39 m and the site to 40 m, so the profile is deep and short, and the reserve says the dive should always be made in a group.
Dive videos
Relitto Mohawk Deer - San Fruttuoso Wreck · paolo micai on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Mohawk Deer wreck?+
The main wreck lies between 20 and 39 m, with the reserve publishing the site as 6 to 10 m at its shallowest and 35 to 40 m at its deepest. It rates the dive high difficulty and says it should always be made in a group.
Sources
- Relitto Mohawk Deer — dive site — Area Marina Protetta di Portofino
- Wreck Mohawk Deer (OSM node) — OpenStreetMap
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