Dive in Croatia- Ten of the Best Scuba Diving Wreck Sites

Croatia has one of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe and has some excellent dive sites. As an increasingly popular visitor destination Croatia has a lot to offer and is worth considering for a diving focused destination and the wrecks in the area are a major attraction.  There are enough shipwrecks to make it worth coming for alone as there are so many littering the coast. Perhaps it also reflects the dramatic and somewhat tragic history of this nation and the many battles that have taken place in the Balkans. The stunning scenery, beautiful beaches ,historic towns such as Split and Dubrovnik will keep non divers occupied and there are also wonderful cafes and restaurants. The only challenge will be deciding which part of Croatia to visit as there are so many great dives. Here are just ten of the best of the wreck dives in Croatia to tempt you into visiting.

Baron Gautsch.

This is one of the best known wrecks in the Northern Adriatic Sea and lies of the coast of Rovinj. Baron Gautsch was an Austro Hungarian passenger ship that took many innocent lives to the bottom of the sea when it encountered a minefield in 1914. The upper deck lies at 28 metres with the lower part at 42 metres. This ship lies upright and is fascinating to see, however due to the illegal removal of artefacts a permit is required and a trip can only be done under the supervision of a licensed diving centre.

U81

U81 is a notorious German Navy submarine that sank the British Ark Royal during World War Two in the Atlantic. It now lies south of the Kamenjak Cape and was sunk during a bombing raid in 1945. The vessel is in two pieces and is very interesting to dive.

Giuseppe Dezza

Giuseppe Dezza is a torpedo ship from World War Two lying off the Istrian Coast. It fell into German hands and was renamed TA35 and the ship was then sunk by an English aerial torpedo causing a large explosion. This is a well preserved wreck split in two and lies at a depth of 30-33 metres.

TA36

Off the Kvarner Coast the wreck of TA 36 is actually a designated war grave. It was an Italian and then German destroyer when it struck a mine north of Brestova. The captain had taken a forbidden route through the minefield and the ship sank with the loss of 40 lives. Diving this wreck is possible with a licensed dive company only.

Tihany

This is another Austro Hungarian ship off the Kvarner coastline that sank on February 12th 1917 as it ran aground at the port entrance to Unije on the Isle of Skoljic. It lies at a depth of 30-39 metres and the array of ancient ceramics in the vicinity indicate that this whole area has been a hazard to shipping for centuries. The timber on this ship has decayed and it is possible to see inside the vessel on the dive.

Peltastis

Peltastis is a Greek cargo ship that sank during a storm in 1968 off Pazduhhovo as she tried to anchor and seek shelter. The wreck is another on the Kvarner coastline and lies at 10-20 metres, making her accessible to most divers. She lies upright and the masts at 10 metres are usually the first sight of the ship that the diver has, and she is more or less intact on the sandy bottom making her a very interesting dive to explore.

Francesca da Rimini

Off the north coast of the Island of Kaprijie lies the Francesca da Rimini, who was attacked by two British spitfires in 1944 as she was transporting armaments. She is a well preserved World War Two iron ship with three masts and 42 metres long. Nearby there are some underwater cascades which are beautiful to see starting at 20 metres and descending to a depth of 50 metres.

Mirano

Mirano was an Italian cargo ship used by the Germans to transport coal in the Second World War. In 1943 she came under heavy artillery fine and sank off the coast at Primosten. Although parts of the ship were recovered after the war to prevent them getting in the way of other shipping there are still pieces of this wreck to see and also the cargo of coal which is now home to octopus and conger eels.

B17

One of the most well documented of wrecks in the Adriatic this well preserved B17 American bomber sank as it was attempting a raid on Maribor. The plane got into difficulties with the fuselage and it attempted a forced landing at Vis but sank. As it lies at a depth of 75 metres it is suitable for deep and technical divers only.

Brioni

Brioni was a passenger/ cargo steamboat that sank off the coast of Vis when it ran into trouble during a storm. It lies at 50 -60 metres making it suitable for technical divers only. The position on its side makes it interesting to explore and it is covered in yellow sponges.

Visiting Croatia for wreck diving is one way to have a really busy and active vacation as there are so many to choose from all along the Croatian coastline.