Primošten & Rogoznica, the area around Coal wreck

Primošten & Rogoznica · Croatia · Wreck

Coal wreck

A coal carrier on a slope from a 13 m plateau to about 27 m

Area photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Coal wreck is dived off a plateau near Grbavac: the dive starts at 13 m and the ground drops slowly to about 27 m, with the ship, a coal carrier, lying at an average depth of 20 m. Pongo lists the site slightly deeper, at 15 to 34 m, and calls it a Second World War cargo wreck. No source names the vessel.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Coal wreck: typical dive 13–27 m (43–90 ft), deepest point 34 m (112 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit13 m27 m34 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

43.5633° N, 15.8809° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

You start on the plateau at 13 m and follow the ground as it drops slowly to around 27 m, which is where the wreck lies; the catalogue gives its average depth as 20 m. The slope is gradual rather than a wall, so the profile builds gently and the shallow plateau is still there at the end of the dive to spend the last of the gas over.

The hull is overgrown, and its broken parts work as shelter: what both descriptions come down to is fish using sections of the ship as cover rather than an intact vessel to swim around. Pongo has the mast pointing the way to the superstructure and says the wreck was cut up and salvaged after the war, which is why so little of it is left. Octopus, scorpionfish and congers are the regulars, with schools of fish over the open metal.

The wreck

Vessel
Unidentified coal carrier
Type
Cargo ship used to transport coal
Cause
No source gives a cause; Pongo dates the ship to the Second World War and says it was cut up and salvaged afterwards
Lies
On a slope from a 13 m plateau to about 27 m, average depth 20 m

Marine life and season

  • Octopus & cuttlefish
  • Reef fish swarms
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Coal wreck
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFair

Season follows Primošten & Rogoznica: The swimming season runs June to October; Pongo prices a low season as well, so winter diving happens at around 12–15 °C.

Sources

  1. Coal wreck — Scubago
  2. Best Dives in Croatia — Diving Center Pongo
  3. Coal wreck — Diving Center Pongo

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