VALIANT EFFORT - Tabarka
Okay, let's be honest. The Valiant Effort isn't going to blow your mind with technicolour coral. This is the Med, and it’s a relatively shallow wreck. But for a piece of history you can practically touch, we think it’s pretty cool. Lying in just five metres of water, this old Liberty Ship, originally the Rufus W. Peckham, ran aground in 1959. You can trace its massive outline, a dark shadow against the sandy seabed. What we really love here is the sheer scale, even at this depth. You can fin right over the broken decks, imagining the cargo it once carried. Sunlight dapples through the water, illuminating the bulkheads and the gaping holes in the hull. Look closely and you’ll find small groupers darting between the metal plates, and nudibranchs clinging to the rusty framework. It’s an easy dive, perfect for newer wreck divers or photographers wanting to play with ambient light. Our advice? Go early in the morning before any boat traffic stirs up the sand, and take your time appreciating the silent, solemn structure.
- Location
- Tabarka, Tunisia, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 37.250000, 10.083333
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 5m
Marine Protected Area: Lagune de Ghar El Melh et delta de la medjerda
Best Time to Dive in Tabarka
The warmest water temperatures in Tabarka occur in January, averaging 16.7°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 16.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 16.7°C (air: 14.4°C)
- February: 16.7°C (air: 14.5°C)
- March: 16.7°C (air: 14.8°C)
- April: 16.7°C (air: 16.1°C)
- May: 16.7°C (air: 18.8°C)
- June: 16.7°C (air: 22.7°C)
- July: 16.7°C (air: 26.0°C)
- August: 16.7°C (air: 26.7°C)
- September: 16.7°C (air: 25.3°C)
- October: 16.7°C (air: 22.6°C)
- November: 16.7°C (air: 19.2°C)
- December: 16.7°C (air: 16.1°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Tabarka
- ANNA CATERINA - 60m (wreck)
- BENIVENTO - 0m (wreck)
- BESSY G. - 1m (wreck)
- BLOSSOM (STERN SECTION) - 8m (wreck)
- BRANDARIS - 3m (wreck)
- CARMELO MARULLO II - 50m (wreck)
- CHRISTIAN MICHELSEN - 16m (wreck)
- CONGELSA - 5m (wreck)
- Dive-X Active Sport - Cala Gadir
- Dive-X Active Sport - Cala Tramontana
- EMPIRE SONG (POSSIBLY) - 50m (wreck)
- HELENE CLIPPER - 60m (wreck)
- HERMES - 1m (wreck)
- HMS AVENGER - 60m (wreck)
- HMS Bedouin (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to VALIANT EFFORT
Marine Life in Tabarka
Home to 162 recorded species including 104 reef fish, 20 sharks & rays, 7 octopus & squid, 6 other, 5 whales & dolphins, 4 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- hake (Merluccius merluccius) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- Mullet (Mullus barbatus) - Reef Fish
- european squid (Loligo vulgaris) - Octopus & Squid
- Pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) - Reef Fish
- Bogue (Boops boops) - Reef Fish
- Annular Seabream (Diplodus annularis) - Reef Fish
- pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) - Reef Fish
- Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) - Octopus & Squid
- common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) - Octopus & Squid
- red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) - Reef Fish
- Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Ribbonfish (Lepidopus caudatus) - Reef Fish
- Brown Comber (Serranus hepatus) - Reef Fish
- dory (Zeus faber) - Reef Fish
- Snapper (Sparus aurata) - Reef Fish
- Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
Recommended Packing List for VALIANT EFFORT
Based on average water temperature of 16.7°C.
- Wetsuit (5-7mm) - recommended for 17°C water
- Hood & Gloves (3-5mm) - helps retain warmth
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories