wreck

Log This Dive

LCT 353

We’ve seen our share of WWII wrecks, but the LCT 353 in Ustica is a favourite for its sheer accessibility and the way the sea has reclaimed it. This isn’t a deep, dark dive, but a sun-drenched exploration of history. The landing craft sits in just five metres of water, perfect for a long, relaxed bottom time, even for newer divers. What you get here is a sense of time passing. The wreck itself is a skeletal structure now, a frame of metal that aircraft fire twisted back in '43. Sunlight streams through the openings where the deck once was, illuminating schools of damselfish that dart between the corroded bulkheads. You can easily swim through what remains of the tank deck, imagining the scene it once held. We love watching the moray eels peer out from under the collapsed plating – they’re almost always there, curious but shy. It’s a great spot for photographers too, especially in the late morning light when the shadows play across the metal and the water shimmers above.