Santa Maria Navarrese & Arbatax · Italy · Wreck
Levante
The engine and bow of a storm-wrecked motor ship on sand
Area photo: Fabio Pani · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Levante is the wreck of a cargo ship lost in 1963 in Portu Cuau bay, on the Baunei coast of eastern Sardinia. The ship exploded when it struck the coast, so this is a shallow dive over scattered wreckage, and one of the three wrecks within reach of Santa Maria Navarrese.
Also known as Portu Cuau - Relitto Levante, motonave Levante.
Where it is and how deep
40.0864° N, 9.7320° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is on the sandy floor of the bay at 12 m, where the remains of the motor ship lie spread across the bottom. Among the wreckage, the remains of the engine and the bow are the pieces that stand out, and they give the dive its two main points of interest.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Levante
- Type
- Cargo motor ship
- Sunk
- 1963
- Cause
- Driven against the coast in a Tramontana storm when an anchor gave way, then exploded
- Lies
- Scattered wreckage on a sandy bottom at 12 m inside Portu Cuau bay
The Levante was a motor ship owned by the Compagnia di Armamento Sarda. In 1963, running along the Ogliastra coast at the mercy of the Tramontana, it tried to shelter inside the inlet of Portu Cuau. One of its anchors gave way, the ship was thrown against the coast and exploded, and its remains settled on the floor of the bay.
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 | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Santa Maria Navarrese & Arbatax: The Arbatax boats run from April to October; July to September has the warmest water of the year.
Questions divers ask
Can a newly certified diver dive the Levante wreck?+
Yes. The wreckage lies on a sandy bottom at 12 m, within Open Water limits, which makes it a first wreck dive in the bay.
Sources
- Portu Cuau - Relitto Levante — PADI
- Portu Cuau - Baunei Coast — Turismo Baunei
- Diving Center in Sardinia — Nautica Sea Service
- Portu Cuau — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in Santa Maria Navarrese & Arbatax
Pinnacle
The shoal off Arbatax known above all for its barracuda
Reef
Moray eels, hermit crabs and catsharks in one deep band
A gently deepening bottom that ends at a wall
Similar dives elsewhere
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