Varna & Cape Kaliakra · Bulgaria · Wreck
Regele Carol I
A 1941 minelayer, sunk by a mine of the kind it carried
Regele Carol I is a World War II minelayer that sank off Cape Galata, just outside Varna, after striking a mine in 1941. Built in 1898 and 93.2 m long, the ship went down 2 miles from the Galata Burnu lighthouse after leaving Varna harbour with a new load of mines.
Also known as NMS Regele Carol I, Carol I.
Where it is and how deep
43.1717° N, 27.9460° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Off Cape Galata the ship lies on the seabed at 23.5 m, where she settled after the mine blast sank her. The wreck is the hull of a minelayer that measured 93.2 m in length.
The wreck
- Vessel
- NMS Regele Carol I
- Type
- Minelayer
- Length
- 93.2 m (306 ft)
- Built
- 1898
- Sunk
- 1941
- Cause
- Struck a mine off Varna
- Lies
- On the seabed at 23.5 m off Cape Galata, near Varna
Regele Carol I was completed and commissioned in 1898, a ship of 93.2 m in length. During World War II she served as a minelayer, and in 1941 she was sunk off Varna by a mine laid by a Soviet submarine. The wreck was later found on the seabed off Cape Galata, close to the harbour she had sailed from.
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 | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Varna & Cape Kaliakra: The season runs April to November; June to September is the best stretch, with the sea near 24 °C.
Dive videos
shipwreck Regele Carol 1 · crazydiverbg on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Regele Carol I wreck need?+
With the seabed at 23.5 m, this wreck sits past Open Water limits and calls for Advanced Open Water certification.
Sources
- Diving in Bulgaria — Scuba Travel
- NMS Regele Carol I — Wikipedia
- Cape Galata — OpenStreetMap
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