MATER NOSTRA (PROBABLY) - Sardinia
Alright, Mater Nostra. This isn't your deep, dramatic wreck dive, and that's precisely why we love it. Sunk in 1972 after running aground in the fog near Mal di Ventre Island, this old tanker sits in a remarkable five metres of water. It's truly astonishing how accessible it is. The Mater Nostra is a proper playground. We spent ages just finning over the deck, peering into the open holds where light spills in, making the resident damselfish glow. You can see the stern, the bow, and a good chunk of the superstructure still intact. Our favourite part? The way the light plays through the skeletal ribs of the hull, creating these shifting patterns on the sandy seabed. It's a photographer's dream, especially on a bright, sunny afternoon when the visibility stretches for miles. Look for moray eels tucked into the darker corners and nudibranchs grazing on the metalwork. It's a shallow, leisurely dive, perfect for extending your bottom time and just soaking in the history. We'd suggest going early to avoid any boat traffic.
- Location
- Sardinia, Italy, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 40.005966, 8.322534
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 5m
Marine Protected Area: Stagno di Putzu Idu (Salina Manna e Pauli Marigosa)
Nearby Dive Sites in Sardinia
- ACHAIKA HOPE - 25m (wreck)
- ADELCONCITA - 35m (wreck)
- AGELIKA - 5m (wreck)
- ALI REIS V - 2m (wreck)
- Allume
- Ancore Spagnole - 23m
- Angelika MS (wreck)
- Anna Bianca Wreck (wreck)
- Archeo Diving
- Balena - 20m
- Biancas Garden (reef)
- BUCADOR (PROBABLY) - 10m (wreck)
- Cala Cupa
- Cala dell Oro
- Cala di Trana
Nearest Dive Centres to MATER NOSTRA (PROBABLY)
Marine Life in Sardinia
Home to 86 recorded species including 38 reef fish, 9 seagrass & algae, 8 whales & dolphins, 6 sharks & rays, 5 hard corals, 4 other.
Notable Species
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Moonfish (Mola mola) - Reef Fish
- mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) - Jellyfish
- Razorback (Balaenoptera physalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) - Reef Fish
- Devil fish (Mobula mobular) - Sharks & Rays
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Common Spiny Lobster (Palinurus elephas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
- Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish