wreck

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ACHAIKA HOPE

The Achaika Hope holds a proper place in our list of favourite Mediterranean wrecks. She’s a big old steamship, all 100 metres of her, sitting upright at 25 metres off Razzoli Island. She ran aground in a storm back in ’69, and you can still feel that drama when the surge picks up a bit. We love how intact she is – you can trace the whole deck, peer into cargo holds that now shelter schools of silvery juvenile barracuda, and even see the distinctive shape of her boilers in the engine room area. Exploring the Achaika Hope feels like stepping back in time. The bow points seaward, almost defiantly, while the stern is closer to the rocks where she met her end. Swarms of damselfish flicker around the mast, which still reaches up towards the surface, and we often find large groupers lurking in the deeper, darker sections of the holds. Visibility here is usually excellent, giving you a real sense of her scale as you drift along the length of her hull. For wreck divers who appreciate history and an accessible, impressive structure, this one’s a real treat. Just be mindful of local conditions; that same surge that brought her down can make for a more lively dive.