Robberg & Plettenberg Bay · South Africa · Wreck
Athina Wreck
A Greek trawler's hull lying a short swim off Robberg
Area photo: Theo Crazzolara · CC BY 2.0
The Athina is the wreck of a Greek fishing trawler on the eastern side of Robberg, the only wreck dive in Plettenberg Bay. It lies very close to shore in shallow water, and its steel hull has become an artificial reef, which makes it an easy first wreck for newly certified divers.
Also known as MFV Athina, Wreck of the Athina, Athina.
Where it is and how deep
34.1045° S, 23.3963° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers reach the wreck by boat or on a swim from the beach, and it is best dived on the high tide in flat, calm seas because it sits so close to shore. The remains lie between 3 and 7 m, and the steel hull is alive with fish and marine life.
The wreck
- Vessel
- MFV Athina
- Type
- Greek fishing trawler
- Sunk
- 1967
- Cause
- Struck Whale Rock off Robberg Point, then ran for the shore and sank
- Lies
- In 3–7 m very close to shore on the eastern side of Robberg
The MFV Athina was a Greek trawler carrying a full cargo of tuna home to Greece when it struck Whale Rock, the pinnacle off the point of Robberg Nature Reserve. The crew ran the damaged ship for the shore, and it sank in 3 to 6 m of water on the eastern side of Robberg on 1 August 1967. All the crew made it to safety.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Robberg & Plettenberg Bay: September and October are the best months; onshore south-easterlies churn the sea up in summer, while winter westerlies clear the water.
Questions divers ask
Can the Athina wreck be dived from shore?+
Yes. It lies so close to shore that it can be reached on a swim from the beach as well as by boat, ideally on a calm high tide.
Sources
- The Athina Wreck in Plettenberg Bay — ProDive Plettenberg Bay
- Top Dive Sites along the Garden Route – Plettenberg Bay — ProDive Plettenberg Bay
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap contributors
More dive sites in Robberg & Plettenberg Bay
Reef
A maze of caves and swim-throughs with ragged-tooth sharks
Wall
Sea fans draped in basket stars on a soft-coral wall
Reef
Huge reef terraces with the odd big mako shark passing
Reef
Juvenile reef fish and cuttlefish among anemones in the shallows
Sand slope
Cape fur seals blowing bubbles at divers on the sand
Pinnacle
Three pinnacles reached on a short swim from the beach
Big caves among round boulders off Robberg's island
Pinnacle
Ragged-tooth sharks around a pinnacle that breaks off Robberg Point
Similar dives elsewhere
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Boilers, mast, bow and stern all visible from the surface.
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