Relitto Kastell Luanda - Naples & Campania
The Kastell Luanda isn't your average Mediterranean wreck. We love it because it’s a proper piece of history, sunk deliberately after World War II to form a breakwater. At just 11 metres, it’s a brilliant dive for beginners or anyone looking for a relaxed potter around a substantial structure. What you'll find is a large, broken freighter, spread out across the seabed. The bow and stern sections are still fairly intact, offering plenty of nooks to poke your head into. You can swim through the old cargo holds, where shafts of light pierce the gloom, illuminating thick shoals of damselfish that dart between the steel beams. Our favourite part is spotting the octopus and moray eels tucked away in crevices, often giving you a good look before retreating further into the shadows. Keep an eye out for nudibranchs clinging to the rust-coloured metal – they’re surprisingly colourful against the muted backdrop. It’s an easy, interesting dive, often with good visibility, making it ideal for photographers keen to capture that classic wreck aesthetic without the usual depth challenges.
- Location
- Naples & Campania, Italy, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 40.925300, 12.967700
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 11m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Fondali circostanti l'Isola di Ponza
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 Relitto Kastell Luanda
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