BOLZANETO
Protected Area
Fondali Anzo
Why dive here
With 70+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, humpback whales, mobula rays (devil rays) and oceanic whitetip sharks - BOLZANETO offers some of Portofino & Liguria's richest wreck diving.
Bolzaneto is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to. Built in 1918, she’s a big girl at 90 metres long, sunk by a British submarine in 1943. She sits upright on the seabed at 55 metres, an imposing silhouette emerging from the blue. Dropping down, you feel the water cool a few degrees, and the light dims to a hazy green. We love exploring her bow, a jumble of twisted metal and plates that offer plenty of swim-throughs for those with the right training. Her stern is our favourite, though, with the propeller still largely intact, a real magnet for schooling snapper and barracuda. The current can pick up here, so good buoyancy is key. Look closely at the cargo holds – they’re full of brittle stars and the occasional moray eel peeking out from the shadows. The sheer scale of Bolzaneto makes it a proper deep-diving adventure, best suited for experienced technical divers who appreciate a piece of history and the marine life that now calls it home.
Typical BOLZANETO Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Maximum depth 55m exceeds recreational limits (40m). Technical diving certification and equipment required.
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
BOLZANETO Wreck History
Year Sunk
1943
Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
torpedo
The steamship Bolzaneto was a veteran of the sea, built in 1918 just as the First World War was drawing to a close. For 25 years, it served Italian industry, owned by the major steel company Soc. Anon. ILVA. Its long career came to an abrupt and violent end during the height of the Second World War's Mediterranean campaign. On June 29, 1943, while sailing off the picturesque Ligurian coast, the Bolzaneto was targeted by a British submarine and struck by a torpedo, sending the 90-metre vessel to the bottom.
Today, the Bolzaneto rests in deep water at 55 metres, making it a challenging dive reserved for experienced technical divers. Those who make the descent are rewarded with the sight of a largely intact WWII wreck, sitting upright on the seabed. The dark, cool waters have preserved many of its features, offering a silent, haunting memorial to a time of intense conflict in the otherwise tranquil waters near Portofino.
Nearest Dive Centres to BOLZANETO
Dive shops near BOLZANETO
Associazione Diving 5 Terre
MASSUB DIVING CENTER - PORTOFINO
UNDERWATERTALES ASD
SSI Scuba Diving
LERICI FREEDIVING
DIVING GROUP PORTOFINO
Reviews for BOLZANETO
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for BOLZANETO
BOLZANETO Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for BOLZANETO, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (44.31, 9.19) (0km away)
August Averages
Air Temperature
25.58°C
78°F
Wind Speed
3.87 m/s
7.5 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1013.1 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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