BREMER WESTEN - Bornholm

Bornholm diving usually means the dramatic granite reefs, but Bremer Westen? She’s the star of the show if you’re into proper wreck diving. Sunk in ’75, this 83-metre cargo vessel sits upright on the seabed at 59m, completely intact. We love her because she’s substantial, a proper beast of a ship, not just a pile of plates. Dropping down, the bridge is often the first thing to emerge from the deep blue, eerily preserved. The cargo holds are open, inviting exploration, and you can swim through various sections. Visibility can be excellent, though it’s a deep dive, so bring your lights – you’ll want to pick out the details. Look for the massive propeller, it’s still there, begging for a photo. Ling and cod lurk in the shadows, and we’ve seen some surprisingly large conger eels making homes in her nooks and crannies. This isn't a beginner's dive, obviously, but for experienced technical divers, Bremer Westen is one of our favourite Baltic wrecks. Plan your deco carefully, and you’ll be rewarded.

Location
Bornholm, Denmark, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
55.250000, 15.500000
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
59m

Wreck History - BREMER WESTEN

Year Sunk
1975
Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
unknown

The MV Bremer Westen was a modern German motor vessel built in 1962. For over a decade, it served its owners, the Bruno Bischoff Reederei, plying the trade routes of the Baltic and Northern Europe. In July 1975, the ship was on a routine passage from its home port of Bremen, Germany, to Klaipėda in what was then Soviet Lithuania. It was a standard voyage that the ship and its crew had likely made many times before, but this one would be its last.

While navigating the cold waters of the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm, the Bremer Westen ran into fatal trouble. The available records are incomplete, but it is believed the vessel began taking on water or developed a severe and uncorrectable list. Despite the crew's efforts, the ship foundered and sank on July 27, 1975, settling on the dark seabed and becoming another addition to the Baltic's vast underwater museum.

Today, the Bremer Westen is a premier technical wreck dive, resting upright at a challenging depth of 59 meters. The cold, low-salinity water of the Baltic has preserved the ship in remarkable condition, making it appear as if it could set sail at any moment. This dive is strictly for experienced, certified technical divers with the proper training and equipment for deep, cold-water decompression diving. Those who make the descent are rewarded with the sight of a perfectly preserved time capsule from the 1970s.

Marine Protected Area: M - Strict

Best Time to Dive in Bornholm

The warmest water temperatures in Bornholm occur in January, averaging 3.3°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 3.3°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 3.3°C (air: 3.1°C)
  • February: 3.3°C (air: 3.2°C)
  • March: 3.3°C (air: 3.9°C)
  • April: 3.3°C (air: 6.0°C)
  • May: 3.3°C (air: 10.9°C)
  • June: 3.3°C (air: 16.1°C)
  • July: 3.3°C (air: 17.4°C)
  • August: 3.3°C (air: 18.0°C)
  • September: 3.3°C (air: 15.7°C)
  • October: 3.3°C (air: 11.5°C)
  • November: 3.3°C (air: 7.1°C)
  • December: 3.3°C (air: 3.5°C)

Nearby Dive Sites in Bornholm

Nearest Dive Centres to BREMER WESTEN

Marine Life in Bornholm

Home to 67 recorded species including 43 reef fish, 7 clams & mussels, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 crabs & lobsters, 2 starfish, 2 other.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for BREMER WESTEN

Based on average water temperature of 3.3°C.

  • Drysuit - water at 3°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
  • Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
  • 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