ARTESIEN
Protected Area
Cap Sicie - Six Fours
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) - ARTESIEN offers some of Marseille & Calanques's richest wreck diving. Water sits around 14°C.
Artesien is one of our favourite deep wrecks in the Calanques, a proper diver’s wreck if you’re comfortable at depth. This steamship went down in 1944, a casualty of a torpedo, and now rests upright at 48 metres. Dropping down, you’ll start to make out the sheer size of her, over 100 metres long, with a proud bow and stern that still feel imposing. We love finning along the deck, picking out details like winches and the remains of her superstructure, all wonderfully encrusted with gorgonians and sponges. The cargo holds are open, inviting a peek inside – just remember your torch, it gets dark down there. It’s not just the wreck itself; the resident marine life is fantastic. Conger eels poke their heads from every dark crevice, lobsters wave antennae from beneath plates of steel, and schools of anchovies often swirl above the mast. It’s a dive that combines history with serious atmosphere, best appreciated on a calm day when the visibility really opens up. Go early to avoid other boats.
Typical ARTESIEN Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Maximum depth 48m exceeds recreational limits (40m). Technical diving certification and equipment required.
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.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
ARTESIEN Wreck History
Year Sunk
1944
Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
torpedo
The steamship Artésien was a vessel of the interwar years, built in 1921 by J. Redhead & Sons for the French shipping company Cie. des Bat. a Vap. du Nord. For over two decades, it plied the seas as a workhorse of maritime commerce. Its career came to a violent end in the midst of World War II. On the last day of February 1944, while off the coast of Toulon, the Artésien was struck by a torpedo from an Allied submarine and sank, becoming another casualty of the intense naval conflict in the Mediterranean.
Lying at a depth of 48 meters, the Artésien is a dive for experienced and technically-certified divers. The depth and conditions demand respect, but the reward is a visit to a beautifully preserved piece of WWII history. Divers can explore the ship's structure, now draped in marine life, and contemplate the dramatic final moments of this once-proud vessel. It serves as a silent, submerged monument to the war that raged in the waters off the French coast.
Nearest Dive Centres to ARTESIEN
Dive shops near ARTESIEN
Saint-Mandrier Plongée
Toulon Plongée
Bubble Diving
Le Brusc Plongée
Ulysse Plongée
UCPA Sanary-sur-Mer
Reviews for ARTESIEN
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for ARTESIEN
ARTESIEN Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for ARTESIEN, 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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