CRONSHAGEN - Bornholm

CRONSHAGEN is one of those wrecks that just delivers. We’ve plunged into the Baltic many times, and this steamship, sunk by a mine in 1940, always feels like a proper dive. At a shallow 12 metres, it’s remarkably accessible, and the sheer scale of the 79.6-metre hull is impressive from the moment you descend. We love tracing the outline of her collapsed bow, where the mine impact really took its toll, before finning along the vast cargo holds. The triple expansion engines are a particular highlight for us. You can still make out the huge pistons, now encrusted with mussels and anemones, which makes you pause and appreciate the engineering. Visibility, while never tropical, often settles around 8-10 metres here, giving you enough scope to appreciate the wreck's structure. For photographers, the ambient light filtering down onto the midship sections creates some dramatic shots, especially on a sunny afternoon. This is a site for divers who appreciate history and the quiet beauty of an artificial reef. While you won't find colourful coral, the wreck supports a surprising amount of life. Crabs scuttle in the shadows, and schools of small fish drift in and out of the hold openings. We often find lumpsuckers clinging to the plating, their camouflage perfect against the rust. It’s a site you can spend a solid hour on, exploring the deck features, imagining her final moments, and watching the Baltic’s slower, colder ecosystem thrive.

Location: Bornholm, Denmark, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates: 55.488430, 12.697381
Type: wreck
Maximum Depth: 12m

Marine Protected Area: Vestamager og havet syd for

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)

Nearest Dive Centres to CRONSHAGEN

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

Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
Fluke (Platichthys flesus) - Reef Fish
whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
bull rout (Myoxocephalus scorpius) - Reef Fish
Ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) - Clams & Mussels
eel (Anguilla anguilla) - Reef Fish
four-bearded rockling (Enchelyopus cimbrius) - Reef Fish
New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) - Reef Fish
Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) - Reef Fish
saithe (Pollachius virens) - Reef Fish
Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) - Clams & Mussels
Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish

Recommended Packing List for CRONSHAGEN

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