DING HAO - Cabo de Palos

The Ding Hao. Now, this is a wreck we genuinely love diving in Cabo de Palos, even if it’s a bit of a trek to get down to her. Sunk back in '82, she's an old Chinese junk, 18 metres of teak and yacal, which gives her a really unique profile compared to the usual steel hulks around here. Descending, you feel the depth, the light fading around 40 metres, and then she emerges, sitting upright and surprisingly intact on the seabed at 50 metres. What makes her special? It’s the sheer character of the vessel. We often find ourselves drifting over the deck, imagining her final moments, before dropping into the open cargo holds. The wooden structure has held up well, providing countless nooks for conger eels and scorpionfish, and we’ve seen some absolutely massive groupers lurking in the shadows beneath the bow. Visibility can vary, but on a good day, with a bit of ambient light filtering down, the sight of those distinct high stern and bow structures is quite something. It’s a dive for advanced divers, definitely, given the depth, but for those with the training, it’s a rewarding exploration of a genuinely unusual shipwreck. We'd suggest going early in the season, before the summer heat haze, for the best chances of clear water.

Location

Cabo de Palos, Spain, Mediterranean & Europe

Coordinates

38.493830, -0.151167

Type

wreck

Maximum Depth

50m

Marine Protected Area: Serra Gelada i Litoral de la Marina Baixa