Relitto del Melania - Portofino & Liguria
The Melania is a lovely little wreck, exactly the kind of easy, rewarding dive we look for after a big pasta lunch. She was a motor yacht, sunk during the Second World War after hitting a mine, and now she sits upright on a sandy bottom at a very comfortable 11 metres. We love how accessible she is, perfect for newer divers or anyone just wanting a relaxed afternoon dip. You’ll find her bow is still largely intact, with the stern a bit more broken up, but the structure remains surprisingly cohesive. Sunlight dapples through the water, illuminating schools of damselfish that dart in and out of the cabins, which you can easily peek into. Look for moray eels tucked away in crevices; they’re pretty common here. The deck is carpeted with colourful sponges and small anemones. It's not a deep, dramatic wreck, but the history is palpable, and the marine life has really made it a home. We’d suggest going in the late afternoon; the light is just beautiful as it starts to soften.
- Location
- Portofino & Liguria, Italy, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 43.342800, 10.433800
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 11m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Calafuria - Area terrestre e marina
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 Relitto del Melania
- 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