Skopelos · Greece · Wreck
Christoforos Wreck
An 83 m collier standing upright on the sand as if still under way
The Christoforos is an 83 m collier that sank in Panormos bay on Skopelos and now sits upright and in one piece on the sand. Diving on it was not allowed until November 2018, so the hull is very well preserved, and it is the deep wreck dive of the island for trained divers.
Also known as Christoforos, Christoforos Shipwreck, Thomas Hardie.
Where it is and how deep
39.1395° N, 23.6440° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers go down and come back up on a line. The ship takes shape out of the blue at about 15 m, long before the bottom is reached, which gives a spectacular view of the wreck on the way down.
The deck lies at 32 to 35 m, and the ship sits in 43 m of water. Swimming along at 30 m gives a good view of the wreck. Fish have colonised the ship: schools of fish around the hull, electric blue nudibranchs, a large moray eel and a resident scorpionfish inside the bridge.
The ship is too big for a single visit, and two to four dives are needed to see the whole wreck. The site is sheltered, and the water usually has little to no current.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Christoforos (ex Thomas Hardie)
- Type
- Collier cargo ship
- Length
- 83 m (272 ft)
- Built
- 1950
- Sunk
- 1983
- Cause
- Foundered after developing a 7 degree list in bad weather on a voyage from Volos to Piraeus
- Lies
- Upright and in one piece on sand at 43 m, less than 200 m from shore in Panormos bay
The ship was built as a collier in 1950 at the Grangemouth shipyard under the name Thomas Hardie, and joined the Greek merchant fleet in 1976 as the Christoforos. During a voyage from Volos to Piraeus the weather turned and she developed a 7 degree list, so she changed course for safe anchorage at Panormos. The captain, lieutenant and quartermaster stayed aboard to save her, but she sank at 05:30 in October 1983. Diving on the wreck was not allowed until November 2018.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Skopelos: Conditions are best from April to October; the water runs from about 14 °C in March to 26 °C in August.
Know before you go
- A deep wreck with the deck at 32–35 m; every diver carries a personal dive computer on this dive.
Dive videos
Diving to the wreck of the Flat Iron Collier "Christoforos" · NGUE - Northern Greece Underwater Explorers on YouTube
Night Dive "Christoforos" · TenaronDiving on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive the Christoforos wreck?+
Advanced diver certification, and a check dive comes first. The deck lies at 32 to 35 m and the wreck rests at 43 m, so it is a deep dive, and each diver needs a personal dive computer.
Sources
- Christoforos Shipwreck - Skopelos Dive Center — Skopelos Dive Center
- Mamma Mia! Diving Skopelos (Part 2) — Scubaverse
- CHRISTOFOROS shipwreck - Skopelos island Sporades Greece — thediver.gr
- History of the ship Christoforos — Skopelos Dive Center
More dive sites in Skopelos
Wall
A wall running straight out from the shore, with rock formations on top
Cave & cavern
A rock canyon at the end of a swim past hundreds of nudibranchs
Wall
A tunnel through the cape with daylight pouring in through its roof
Reef
Rocky slopes of a town bay, shallow enough for a first dive
Similar dives elsewhere
A scattered cargo wreck on a reef running from 2 m to 35 m
The Ghost Ship: an intact 20 m motor-sailboat on sand at 38 m
Carrara marble still lying in the holds at 42 m
A sunken fish farm hanging at an angle from 12 m to 35 m