Relitto Aereo - Corsica
The Relitto Aereo, or Airplane Wreck, off Corsica is one of those sites we always recommend for new wreck divers. It's not deep, just 18 metres, and the visibility here tends to be excellent, often pushing 20 metres on a good day, making it an easy, relaxed dive. We love that it’s still relatively intact, a German Junkers 52 transport plane from WWII, shot down in 1943. You can clearly make out the fuselage and wings, even the engines are still there, albeit well-encrusted. What you get here is a really friendly introduction to wreck diving. The cockpit is often open enough for a quick peek inside, and the cargo bay, though small, usually has a few curious moray eels peeking out. The wreck itself has become a home for so much life. Schools of damselfish shimmer around the wings, and nudibranchs slowly crawl across the metal. Look closely and you’ll find scorpionfish camouflaged against the rust. It suits beginners perfectly, offering that thrill of exploring a piece of history without any tricky currents or tight spaces. We'd suggest going in the morning; the light can be magical, filtering through the water and illuminating the fuselage just so.
- Location
- Corsica, France, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 42.743400, 10.422200
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 18m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Best Time to Dive in Corsica
The warmest water temperatures in Corsica occur in January, averaging 13.9°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 13.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 13.9°C (air: 9.4°C)
- February: 13.9°C (air: 10.7°C)
- March: 13.9°C (air: 11.2°C)
- April: 13.9°C (air: 13.4°C)
- May: 13.9°C (air: 17.4°C)
- June: 13.9°C (air: 22.3°C)
- July: 13.9°C (air: 25.5°C)
- August: 13.9°C (air: 25.3°C)
- September: 13.9°C (air: 21.6°C)
- October: 13.9°C (air: 17.9°C)
- November: 13.9°C (air: 13.8°C)
- December: 13.9°C (air: 10.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Corsica
- A-20 Havoc, plane wreck - 21m (wreck)
- A Casaïola - 13m (reef)
- ADERNO - 55m (wreck)
- AFRICHELLE - 45m (wreck)
- Aile - 19m
- ALBERI (POSSIBLY) - 12m (wreck)
- Aquarium - 19m
- B-17 Bomber Wreck - 24-29m (wreck)
- Bagheera - 9m
- BAGLIETTO (PROBABLY) - 5m (wreck)
- Banc provencal - 40m
- Barakouda Diving Centre
- Benguigui
- BETTOLINA (POSSIBLY) - 12m (wreck)
- Cala dei Santi - 23m
Nearest Dive Centres to Relitto Aereo
- ACQUASPORT di Mazzi Stefano & C.S.n.c.
- A PIAGHJA DIVING CALVI - SSI, PADI
- Aquanautic Elba - SSI
- ARGENTARIO DIVERS SRL - PADI, SSI, UTD
- ARGENTARIO - OBI DIVING
- A.S.D. AMICI DI NEMO - SSI
Marine Life in Corsica
Home to 225 recorded species including 146 reef fish, 35 sharks & rays, 9 seagrass & algae, 8 whales & dolphins, 8 other, 5 hard corals.
Notable Species
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Moonfish (Mola mola) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Razorback (Balaenoptera physalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Corb (Sciaena umbra) - Reef Fish
- Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Blotched Picarel (Spicara maena) - Reef Fish
- Bogue (Boops boops) - Reef Fish
- Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) - Hard Corals
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) - Reef Fish
- Devil fish (Mobula mobular) - Sharks & Rays
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Relitto Aereo
Based on average water temperature of 13.9°C.
- Wetsuit (5-7mm) - recommended for 14°C water
- Hood & Gloves (3-5mm) - helps retain warmth
- 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