Reefwander

Sarandë & Ksamil · Albania · Wreck

Six Shipwrecks - Ksamil

Ex-navy ships still carrying their machine guns and cannons

Six former Albanian navy ships sunk on purpose in 2002 a short way off the shore of Ksamil, to make an underwater park about the history of communism. The hulls lie between 16 and 30 m and are still in good shape, with machine guns, engines and cannons left on board.

Also known as Six Ship Wrecks in Ksamil, 6 Shipwrecks in Ksamil, Ksamil: 6 Ship Wrecks, Ksamil wrecks.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Six Shipwrecks - Ksamil: typical dive 16–30 m (52–100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit16 m30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

39.7834° N, 20.0038° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The ships are spread across the seabed off Ksamil, the shallowest at 16 m and the deepest at 30 m. They are in good shape, and some still carry their guns and cannons, with machine guns and engines among the remains, so the dive moves from hull to hull reading the armament of each.

The wreck

Vessel
Six Albanian ex-navy ships
Type
Ex-navy ships
Sunk
2002
Cause
Deliberately sunk by the Albanian government to create an underwater park for divers
Lies
Just off the shore of Ksamil, between 16 and 30 m

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Six Shipwrecks - Ksamil
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairGoodGoodPrimeGoodGoodPrimeGoodFairFair

Season follows Sarandë & Ksamil: Diving runs all year with the right wetsuit; June and September pair warm water with fewer divers than July and August.

Dive videos

Ksamil Wreck Diving | Exploring the Famous Six Shipwrecks Dive Site · Saranda Diving Albania on YouTube

Questions divers ask

What certification do the Ksamil shipwrecks need?+

The hulls lie between 16 and 30 m, past Open Water limits, so Advanced Open Water is the card for the deeper ships.

Sources

  1. Scuba Tours in Saranda & Ksamil — Saranda Diving
  2. Diving In Saranda — Visit Saranda

More dive sites in Sarandë & Ksamil

Two cars that fell off a broken ferry, resting on the seabed

15–25 m · max 50 mintermediate

A bay named for the red rock that rings it, dived every day from Sarandë

to 12 mbeginner

Moray eels and lionfish in the rock formations near Gjiri i Hartës

to 12 mbeginner

Loggerhead turtles in the channels between the four islands

5–15 mbeginner

Cave & cavern

Rock arches that frame the open blue on the way through

8–15 mbeginner

A Second World War cargo ship so shallow that part of it shows above the water

3–18 m · max 20 mbeginner

Similar dives elsewhere

Wreck

Amphora Site

Cavtat & Konavle · Croatia

Ancient jars still stacked where the ship went down, guarded by a metal cage

to 27 mintermediate

Wreck

Ana Rosa

Cabrera Archipelago · Spain

A 40 m fishing boat wreck in a restricted park zone

22–32 madvanced

Wreck

Anonymous Wreck

Corfu · Greece

An unidentified wreck at 32 m, reached down a slope from 10 m

10–32 madvanced

Wreck

Avantis III Wreck

Agistri & Poros · Greece

A large propeller at 41 m on a cargo ship that struck the islet itself

16–32 m · max 48 madvanced