Lungo Wreck - Istria Peninsula
The Lungo Wreck, just off the Istrian coast, isn't always the first wreck people talk about in Croatia, but it's one we always enjoy. We love it because it’s surprisingly intact, sitting upright and creating a fantastic artificial reef. The structure is mostly steel, a cargo ship from what we gather, and it’s broken just enough to offer plenty of swim-throughs without feeling like a maze. We've spent dives just poking around the hold, where schools of small damselfish dart around the shadows, and the bow, which is often home to some impressive scorpionfish. Visibility here can be a bit variable, sometimes a glorious 20 metres, other times a more intimate 10, but it rarely detracts from the experience because there's so much structure to focus on. Our favourite time to dive it is mid-morning, just as the sun angles down, illuminating the deck in a really striking way. The current is usually gentle, making it a comfortable dive for those who want to take their time exploring. If you’re into wrecks that still feel like a ship, rather than a pile of scrap, Lungo is a solid choice.
- Location
- Istria Peninsula, Croatia, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 45.135616, 13.621502
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 10-30m
Marine Protected Area: Limski kanal - more
Best Time to Dive in Istria Peninsula
The warmest water temperatures in Istria Peninsula occur in August, averaging 26.1°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 11.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 13.5°C
- February: 11.9°C
- March: 11.8°C
- April: 13.4°C
- May: 17.0°C
- June: 22.4°C
- July: 25.6°C
- August: 26.1°C
- September: 23.6°C
- October: 20.3°C
- November: 17.8°C
- December: 15.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Istria Peninsula
- 100 Steps
- 1. Niederbayerischer Tauchsportclub Plattling e.V.
- 3 Zinnen - 18m
- A CAPELLINI - 11m (wreck)
- Accademia Blu Diving Center
- Allgäuer Taucherhof
- Allmannshausen: Naturschutzgebiet
- Allmannshausen: Seeburg
- Allmannshausen: Wasserwacht
- Allmannshauser Steilwand
- Almsee (reef)
- Alpenblick
- Alte Badanstalt
- Alte Brücke-Flurlingersteg
- Alte Julierbrücke
Nearest Dive Centres to Lungo Wreck
- 100 x 100 Diving - PADI, TECREC, DAN, EFR
- ACQUASUB VICENZA TEAM asd
- Albarella Diving Center SSDRL
- Apnea Slovenija
- Aquaemotion SSD SRL
- Aquanautic Elba - SSI
Marine Life in Istria Peninsula
Home to 48 recorded species including 28 reef fish, 7 sharks & rays, 3 other, 2 crabs & lobsters, 2 octopus & squid, 1 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Corb (Sciaena umbra) - Reef Fish
- Cape Shark (Squalus acanthias) - Sharks & Rays
- conger (Conger conger) - Reef Fish
- Common lobster (Homarus gammarus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatis aquila) - Sharks & Rays
- poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) - Sharks & Rays
- Common smoothhound (Mustelus mustelus) - Sharks & Rays
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Blackspotted Smoothhound (Mustelus punctulatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Leidy's Comb Jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi)
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Slender Seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) - Seagrass & Algae
- hake (Merluccius merluccius) - Reef Fish
- Mullet (Mullus barbatus) - Reef Fish
- european squid (Loligo vulgaris) - Octopus & Squid
- common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) - Octopus & Squid
Recommended Packing List for Lungo Wreck
Based on average water temperature of 18.3°C, currents 2 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 18°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories