wreck

Log This Dive

MEDICEO (PART OF)(POSSIBLY)

The Mediceo, lying at a comfortable 18 metres off the Istrian coast, is one of our favourite wreck dives in the northern Adriatic. It’s a big old steamship, 122 metres long, that met its end in January 1945, either by bomb or mine depending on whose log you read. Either way, it’s now a fantastic artificial reef. Dropping down, the sheer scale hits you first. The bow is particularly intact, looming out of the blue, often swarming with schools of damselfish that scatter as you approach. We love to take our time here, exploring the holds which are now home to lobsters and conger eels, tucked deep into the shadows. The stern section is more broken, revealing the massive propeller and rudder, often draped in sponges and colonial anemones. Visibility can be a bit variable here, so we always try to hit it on a calm morning before the afternoon breezes kick up. It’s a straightforward dive, perfect for advanced open water divers looking for a good long bottom time on a genuinely impressive piece of history. You'll find scorpionfish camouflaged on the plating and a surprising number of nudibranchs if you look closely enough.