Halkidiki · Greece · Wreck
Ottoman Shipwreck
A wreck of an estimated 70 m, broken in two, lying between 4 and 18 m
Area photo: id.nfero · CC BY-SA 3.0
An Ottoman-era vessel that sank between 1912 and 1922 off Sithonia and now lies in two pieces between 4 and 18 m. It is the peninsula's headline wreck and an easy one: shallow enough for every certification level, with most of the hull, an estimated 70 m long, lying flat on the seabed and large and small fish living in and around the steel.
Where it is and how deep
39.9919° N, 23.9989° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck lies between 4 and 18 m, so the whole site is within reach of a newly certified diver and the dive is unhurried. You descend onto a vessel that is no longer one piece: the hull is cut in two and the two sections lie apart on the bottom. Most of the ship lies flat on the seabed, and the operator calculates the original length at 70 m, so there is a lot of steel to cover at an easy pace.
The break is the point of interest. Where the hull parts, the metal still shows the signs of the explosion that sank it, and the contrast between the flattened section and the damaged one tells the story of the sinking without any narration. Since it went down the wreck has become a reef: the operator describes it as home to many species, large and small fish sheltering along the plates. With nothing deeper than 18 m, the ascent is simply a matter of finishing the dive over the shallow part of the wreck.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Ottoman shipwreck (name not recorded)
- Type
- Ottoman-era ship
- Length
- 70 m (230 ft)
- Cause
- Explosion; the vessel sank between 1912 and 1922
- Lies
- Cut in two, most of the hull flat on the seabed between 4 and 18 m
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Halkidiki: Boat trips and Try Scuba run April to October; courses are sold year-round, but the sea sits around 14 °C from January to March.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Ottoman Shipwreck?+
The wreck lies between 4 and 18 m, with most of the hull flat on the seabed. That range keeps it within Open Water limits for the whole dive.
Do I need Advanced certification to dive the Ottoman Shipwreck?+
No. The operator lists the site for all levels, and the deepest point is 18 m. It is a sensible first wreck dive.
Sources
- Ottoman Shipwreck - Scubago — Scubago
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