wreck

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MARIA COSTANZA

The Maria Costanza isn't a dive you *plan* for. It's the happy accident, the bonus shore dive you do when the boat trip gets cancelled or you just fancy an easy afternoon splash. We love it for exactly that reason. This little freighter, built in Venice in 1954, went aground off the Formiche Islands back in '78. Now, she lies practically on the surface, maxing out at just one metre deep. What you get is a unique snorkel or a super shallow dive experience. The wreck is broken, twisted metal, the bow pointing up as if still trying to get somewhere. You can poke around the remains of the cargo hold, where light filters through the rust-eaten deck plates. Shoals of tiny damselfish dart in and out of the nooks, and we've often spotted small octopus tucked into crevices. It’s a photographer's dream for wide-angle shots against the surface, especially late afternoon when the light softens. We’d suggest bringing a macro lens too, for the nudibranchs that cling to the algae-covered plating. It’s proof that not every memorable 'wreck dive' needs to be deep.