BONACCIA - Naples & Campania
Bonaccia isn't just another wreck dive; it's a deep blue journey into history off the coast of Naples. We love how this sailing vessel, resting at 48 meters, still holds a sense of its past life, even after all these years. Descending through the calm, often startlingly clear Mediterranean water, the form of the ship slowly emerges from the gloom, its wooden structure softened by time and encrusted with life. You’ll find schools of shimmering damselfish darting through the skeletal rigging, and octopus peeking from shadowy crevices within the hull. Our favourite part is the way the light filters down, creating an ethereal glow around the wreck, making the exploration feel genuinely profound. It’s a dive for those comfortable with depth, offering a quiet, contemplative experience rather than a riot of colour. We'd suggest going on a weekday morning to beat any potential boat traffic and to enjoy the serene descent undisturbed.
- Location
- Naples & Campania, Italy, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 41.194800, 13.564850
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 48m
Wreck History - BONACCIA
- Vessel Type
- sailing vessel
- Cause
- unknown
Resting in the deep blue off Italy's Campania coast, the Bonaccia is a wreck lost to time. The history of this sailing vessel, including its name, origin, and the story of its sinking, remains a mystery. Its name, which means 'calm' in Italian, is a somber and ironic final title for a vessel now silent on the seabed. For divers, this lack of information only adds to the allure, offering a true sense of exploration and discovery on every descent.
At a depth of 48 metres, the Bonaccia is a dive reserved for experienced deep or technical divers. Descending through the water column, you'll see the ghostly silhouette of a forgotten sailing ship slowly emerge from the gloom. The dive is an atmospheric journey into the past, exploring a wreck that few have seen. The vessel's structure, though weathered by time, provides a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era of sail, now serving as a deep, quiet sanctuary for the marine life of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Marine Protected Area: Oasi blu di Monte Orlando
Nearby Dive Sites in Naples & Campania
- A. MAVONA - 6m (wreck)
- AMELIA S - 17m (wreck)
- ANNA MARIA JEVOLI - 10m (wreck)
- ANNUNZIATA MADRE - 14m (wreck)
- ASHANTI PALM - 5m (wreck)
- Baia Underwater Archaeological Park
- Banco di Santa Croce - 31m (reef)
- BETTOLINA (POSSIBLY) - 33m (wreck)
- BOA (Secche di Tor Paterno - 24m (reef)
- BOMBARDIERE - 30m (wreck)
- Bracciano - 11m
- BRODNESS (PROBABLY) - 58m (wreck)
- Cala dei Turchi
- Cala della pergola
- Cala Gavitella
Nearest Dive Centres to BONACCIA
Marine Life in Naples & Campania
Home to 142 recorded species including 91 reef fish, 20 sharks & rays, 5 hard corals, 5 other, 4 crabs & lobsters, 4 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) - Jellyfish
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) - Reef Fish
- European fan-worm (Sabella spallanzanii) - Worms
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) - Reef Fish
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Herring (Sardinella aurita) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Common Spiny Lobster (Palinurus elephas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Garrick (Lichia amia) - Reef Fish
- Common torpedo (Torpedo torpedo) - Sharks & Rays
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) - Hard Corals
- Spotted Dragonet (Callionymus maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Pink Sea Fan (Eunicella verrucosa) - Soft Corals
- eel (Anguilla anguilla) - Reef Fish
- Corkwing (Symphodus melops) - Reef Fish