wreck

Log This Dive

Oliveira e Carmo (Wreck)

Diving the *Oliveira e Carmo* feels like stepping into a cold war movie, if that movie was set 28 metres down off the Algarve coast. This old patrol boat, scuttled in 2000, sits upright and largely intact, making it a dream for wreck penetration for those with the right training. We love dropping down onto the bow, seeing the deck guns still in place, then finning along the superstructure, watching the light play through the open hatches and doorways. It’s an intermediate dive, the depth isn’t extreme, but exploring inside requires good buoyancy and comfort in overhead environments. Inside, you can navigate through the wheelhouse, past what were once crew quarters, and into the engine room. It’s surprisingly roomy in places, with plenty of entry and exit points. What really makes this site special for us though is the way the marine life has taken over. Schools of sea bream shimmer around the mast, conger eels peek from shadowy crevices, and nudibranchs add splashes of colour to the metalwork. Our favourite part is the stern, where the propeller still sits proud, often covered in jewel anemones. It’s a photographer’s delight, especially early in the morning before any boat traffic stirs up the sediment. We’d suggest a strong torch, not just for penetration, but to really make the colours pop on the encrusting life outside.