Mohawk Deer Wreck - Portofino & Liguria
The Mohawk Deer, lying just off Portofino, isn't just a wreck; it’s a time capsule. Dropping down, you first see the bow, still impressively intact, sitting upright on the seabed. We love how the deck is now home to clouds of damselfish, darting in and out of the former crew quarters. Inside the holds, if you have the right training and equipment, you can push into the darker spaces, torch beams picking out lobsters tucked into corners and the occasional moray eel peering from a pipe. Our favourite part is the stern, where the prop is still partially visible, encrusted with thick layers of colourful sponges. The sense of history here is palpable, a freighter from the 1960s, sunk intentionally for divers. It’s a dive that rewards multiple visits; each time, we find a new detail, a different group of fish, or a shift in the way the light filters through the structures. It’s perfect for divers who appreciate a substantial wreck and don't mind a little navigation within the confines of a steel hulk.
- Location
- Portofino & Liguria, Italy, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 44.301360, 9.184767
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Area naturale marina protetta Portofino
Nearby Dive Sites in Portofino & Liguria
- Abyss Diving Center (wreck)
- Accademia Blu Diving Center
- Airplane Wreck WWII (wreck)
- ALFREDO CAPPELLINI - 7m (wreck)
- Ancorone
- Andrea Ghisotti (ex Scoglio del Raviolo)
- Argentarola Caves - 10-30m (cave)
- ARMATAN III - 22m (wreck)
- ASD POSIDONIA
- Baia di Castiglioncello - 10m
- Bettolina - 30m
- Biboz - 49m
- Bigo - 26m
- BOLZANETO - 55m (wreck)
- BR20
Nearest Dive Centres to Mohawk Deer Wreck
- 2.0 Diving - ["PADI"]
- 7 Perle ASD - ["PADI"]
- A 2.0
- Abissi s.r.l.
- Accademia Blu Diving Center
- ACQUA ACADEMY ASD - SSI
Marine Life in Portofino & Liguria
Home to 73 recorded species including 37 reef fish, 9 sharks & rays, 8 whales & dolphins, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 hard corals, 3 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) - Hard Corals
- Corb (Sciaena umbra) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
- Pink Sea Fan (Eunicella verrucosa) - Soft Corals
- Razorback (Balaenoptera physalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common Spiny Lobster (Palinurus elephas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) - Jellyfish
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
- Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
- Moonfish (Mola mola) - Reef Fish
- Cuvier's Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- conger (Conger conger) - Reef Fish