HMS Blankney - Naples & Campania
The HMS Blankney, resting just off the coast of Naples, isn’t just another hunk of metal on the seabed. This 1940 Hunt-class destroyer is a time capsule, a powerful reminder of wartime history, and we think it’s one of the more atmospheric wreck dives in the region. Dropping down, you start to make out the distinct lines of the warship, its structure still remarkably intact given its age. We love exploring the bow, where schools of damselfish flit in and out of the rusted plating, and the occasional moray eel peeks from a porthole. Penetration is possible for experienced wreck divers, though we’d always suggest going with a local guide who knows the layout intimately. The bridge section, though heavily corroded, still offers a sense of its original form, and seeing the growth of sponges and anemones against the steel is always a highlight. This dive is definitely for those who appreciate history as much as marine life, offering a unique blend of both. Visibility can vary, so we always check conditions before heading out, preferring a calm day when the sun can really illuminate the superstructure.
- Location
- Naples & Campania, Italy, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 41.183300, 12.450000
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Fondali tra Torre Astura e Capo Portiere
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)
- BONACCIA - 48m (wreck)
- Bracciano - 11m
- BRODNESS (PROBABLY) - 58m (wreck)
- Cala dei Turchi
- Cala della pergola
Nearest Dive Centres to HMS Blankney
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