L Estartit, Catalonia, Spain

Reggio Messina Wreck

The Reggio Messina was a 67 metre Italian cargo ship that ran aground on the south face of the Medes Islands in 1991, was refloated, then sank 250 metres off shore at a depth of 45 metres on sand and broken rock. The wreck rests upright with the upper structure standing at around 30 metres and the bow at 38 metres, allowing a recreational deep visit when planned with care. Twentysome years of Mediterranean colonisation have draped the hull in encrusting sponges, yellow cup coral and the start of small gorgonia, and the holds and superstructure are reliable nesting grounds for dusky groupers, conger eels, large lobsters and resident shoals of cardinalfish. Open holes in the deck allow safe view-only penetration. Because the dive is deep, the visit is reserved for advanced divers and is normally planned with a single circuit of the wreck before ascending up the mooring line for safety stops.