wreck

Log This Dive

MARIA VERNIKOU

The Maria Vernikou is a proper wreck dive, not just a pile of scattered metal. She’s a tugboat, sitting upright and mostly intact on a sandy bottom at 33 metres. You can really get a sense of her shape, the wheelhouse still largely defined, and the stern section where the prop would have been. We love how the Mediterranean light filters down, giving the whole scene a ghostly, almost reverent feel. It’s a solid dive for those comfortable at depth, and while there’s no penetration, you can peek into the superstructure and imagine her working life. Schools of damselfish shimmer around the lines, and we’ve often found scorpionfish tucked into the nooks, remarkably camouflaged against the rust. Keep an eye out for nudibranchs, too – they seem to thrive on the softer growth here. It’s our favourite Alonissos wreck for its atmosphere and the way it’s settled into the seabed, a true monument to its past.