ADMIRAL DUPERRE
Protected Area
Pointe du bon renaud
Why dive here
With 157+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and mobula rays (devil rays) - ADMIRAL DUPERRE offers some of Marseille & Calanques's richest wreck diving. Water sits around 14°C.
The Admiral Duperre, resting just five metres down in the Calanques, is one of those spots we always point new divers towards. It's listed as "dangerous," which, for a wreck this shallow, always makes us chuckle a bit. What you’ll actually find here are scattered remains of a battleship broken up in 1922. Think twisted metal plates, sections of hull, and big, chunky pieces of the ship’s structure spread across the seabed. It’s less a single wreck and more an archaeological scatter, a real historical playground. We love poking around the debris field, imagining the ship's scale from these fragments. Light filters through the calm water, highlighting schooling damselfish that dart between the metal. Octopus often hide in crevices, and if you have a keen eye, you might spot a scorpionfish camouflaged on a barnacle-covered plate. It’s a super relaxed dive, perfect for working on buoyancy or just enjoying a long, shallow exploration. Come here on a sunny afternoon; the visibility usually stretches out beautifully, letting you appreciate the scale of the wreckage.
Typical ADMIRAL DUPERRE Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Cold water this month (avg 14°C). Drysuit or thick wetsuit (7mm+) recommended.
ADMIRAL DUPERRE Wreck History
Vessel Type
warship
Cause
unknown
This shallow wreck is named for Guy-Victor Duperré, a celebrated French admiral of the Napoleonic era. Duperré is most famous for his command during the 1810 Battle of Grand Port off Mauritius, a rare and decisive French naval victory over the British Royal Navy. His tactical brilliance in luring a superior British squadron into treacherous coastal waters, where they became trapped and were systematically defeated, cemented his place in French naval history. Several French warships were later named in his honor, and it is one of these vessels that now lies wrecked off the coast of Marseille.
Resting in just 5 meters of water, the Admiral Duperré is now a scattered and broken field of wreckage. Its shallow depth and classification as a "dangerous wreck" suggest it poses a navigational hazard and has been heavily impacted by time and tide. For divers and snorkelers, the site offers an easily accessible glimpse into maritime history. While the vessel's structure is no longer intact, exploring the debris field can reveal sections of hull plating and machinery, all heavily colonized by the Mediterranean's marine life. It serves as a stark reminder of the power of the sea, lying in the shadow of the Calanques National Park.
Nearest Dive Centres to ADMIRAL DUPERRE
Dive shops near ADMIRAL DUPERRE
Ulysse Plongée
Porquerolles Plongée
Scubazar
PlongeeO
SAINT P HYERES PLONGEE
Dune La Londe
Reviews for ADMIRAL DUPERRE
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for ADMIRAL DUPERRE
ADMIRAL DUPERRE Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for ADMIRAL DUPERRE, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (43.2, 5.39) (0km away)
August Averages
Sea Temperature
13.86°C
57°F
Air Temperature
24.69°C
76°F
Wind Speed
6.29 m/s
12.2 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1013.6 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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