Diving The Zenobia Wreck in Cyprus: The Final Information

The Zenobia wreck in Cyprus is without doubt one of the most unimaginable and hottest wreck dives on this planet. It’s been constantly ranked as one of many high dive websites in Europe and a should do when visiting the attractive island of Cyprus. On my current two week journey to the Cyprus, I needed to see what the fuss was about and spent a day diving the unimaginable Zenobia wreck off the coast of Larnaca.

For those who’re thinking about wreck diving and plan to go to Cyprus, you must undoubtedly embrace this dive into your record of issues to do! It’s an unforgettable expertise. On this publish, I’ll discuss concerning the dive itself in addition to every part it’s worthwhile to know to plan your go to to the Zenobia Wreck.

Historical past of the Zenobia Wreck

As with all wreck dives, it’s each essential and interesting to know the historical past of the wreck. How did the Zenobia find yourself within the backside of the ocean? Clearly it was not on objective simply to appease divers of the world!

In fact not.

The Zenobia was a roll on roll off ferry from Sweden that went on its maiden voyage from Sweden to Syria in 1980. Over the past leg of their journey, the ship was docked outdoors of Larnaca port when it got here into extreme laptop system points. They made radio contact reporting the problems however no options may very well be discovered. The following day on June 3, 1980, the ship was beginning to slope onto its facet and all efforts to avoid wasting the ship failed.

The ship sunk that very same day with all of its 140 crew being safely rescued. Nobody to today is aware of precisely why the ship sunk so prematurely. Hypothesis ranges from laptop failures to drug cartel conspiracies. Regardless of the motive, it’s safely on the backside of the Mediterranean prepared for divers to go to!

How huge is the Zenobia Wreck?

The Zenobia wreck is 172 meters lengthy and 28 meters extensive. It weighs 10,000 tons and lies 42 meters beneath the floor. This is without doubt one of the greatest wrecks on this planet {that a} leisure diver can go to (with no need to dive technical).

To place it in perspective, I visited the SS Thistlegorn battleship in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt and that ship was so extremely giant

Finest dive outlets in Cyprus to dive the Zenobia Wreck

There are a plethora of dive outlets in Larnaca and the opposite cities in Cyprus (Paphos and Limassol) that provide day journeys to the Zenobia Wreck. That is the most well-liked dive in Cyprus in any case so it is smart that each dive store gives journeys to the wreck.

From Larnaca, I went with Dive-In Larnaca dive store to dive the wreck. They’re positioned actually proper in entrance of the wreck on the water. The dive store was professionally run with updated tools and a reliable crew of dive instructors and divemasters. The boat was additionally fairly snug however given the ship is so near shore, you received’t want a lot time on the boat anyhow.

How a lot does it price to dive the Zenobia Wreck

The Zenobia wreck isn’t too costly of a dive so far as European diving goes. I did a two dive day journey from Larnaca with all tools included for €120. Larnaca port could be very near the wreck; solely a ten minute speedboat trip away. For those who’re coming from Paphos or Limassol, the dive outlets there may even set up day journeys that embrace your land transportation to Larnaca.

There are a couple of different dive websites round Larnaca as effectively that the dive store visits. Nonetheless, nearly all of the dives they provide are for the Zenobia. I’d simply be very clear in your communication that you’re eager to dive the Zenobia solely.

How deep is the Zenobia Wreck

The Zenobia wreck sits on its portside at 42 meters beneath sea stage. The wreck begins at 16m so you will have basically 25 meters of ship to find. You may spend months diving the Zenobia wreck and nonetheless not see all of it.

Due to its depth, diving the Zenobia wreck is sort of all the time completed with Nitrox. You’ll spend most of your dive between 20 and 25 meters as that’s the place all the good things is. A lot of the outlets I noticed use Nitrox and 15L tanks so it is possible for you to to spend extra time down beneath.

Tech diving can also be immensely well-liked on the Zenobia wreck given how deep you go. I noticed loads of tech divers with 2+ tanks and drysuits sinking into the depths of the wreck. You’ll want the additional tanks to remain down and penetrate sure areas of the ship just like the engine room.

Finest time of yr to dive the Zenobia Wreck Cyprus

Cyprus enjoys nice climate yr spherical. Due to this fact, you possibly can dive the Zenobia wreck always of the yr. From what I gathered, the most effective time of yr for the most effective visibility is within the spring months, additionally when the water is coldest. The water temperature will probably be 28-30 in the course of the peak summer time months of July to September. The temperature dips to twenty levels within the months of January and February. I dived the Zenobia in October and the temperature was a cushty 27 levels.

Visibility is often fairly good within the Mediterranean and you may anticipate to see visibility of 30 meters on common. Having visibility of 40+ meters can also be not unusual and this is able to be superb given you could possibly see extra of the ship.

Diving the Zenobia Wreck

The diving itself was straight ahead. The diving began at 8am the place we did all of the paperwork formalities and obtained fitted with the rental tools. We left for the primary dive round 9am.

Diving across the Zenobia Wreck

The primary dive of the day is to circle the wreck and get to see it from the skin. The boat is completely large and is unimaginable when you descend deep sufficient to see the define of the ship seem.

We spent a lot of the dive across the large ship mast which was residence to some barracuda and a resident inexperienced turtle. Lionfish are plentiful throughout the wreck as to be anticipated given the large lionfish infestation that has plagued the Mediterranean for a few years now. Don’t anticipate a lot sea life on the Zenobia. You aren’t diving in Raja Ampat or Komodo Nationwide Park in any case.

There isn’t as a lot to see on the skin of the ship just like the SS. Thistlegorn battle ship which was adorned with heavy artillery throughout. The principle deck is usually barren however simply the sheer dimension of the factor was sufficient to maintain me entertained.

Nonetheless, the dive was incredible, albeit minimize too quick by one of many different divers operating out of air rapidly.

Penetrating the Zenobia Wreck

For the second dive, we’d lastly be going contained in the shipwreck. That is by far the best expertise even when we barely scratched the floor of what the Zenobia holds.

Within the lodging and captains quarters, with the sunshine zone, you possibly can nonetheless see bathrooms and basins with carpet nonetheless connected in some locations. The restaurant nonetheless accommodates a drinks machine and the serving hatch continues to be very a lot in tact all atop the intense purple tartan carpet which continues to be on a part of the ground.

The Higher Cargo deck dive on the Zenobia will present you rusty vans piled one on high of the opposite some with their windscreens nonetheless in place, while within the Center Cargo deck, the vans have nonetheless retained the colours of their cabs and covers. In lots of you possibly can nonetheless take a peak inside to see the cargo they had been carrying! the Center Cargo deck additionally holds the Zenobia’s solely automotive, which belonged to the Captain and a forklift.

What number of dives do it’s worthwhile to see the Zenobia?

I solely did a two dive day journey to the Zenobia wreck. I’m not an enormous fan of diving within the Mediterranean after diving in Crete and Mykonos. You received’t see a lot apart from a couple of lionfish and a number of rocks. Nonetheless, diving in Cyprus is price it due to this enormous wreck.

My two dives had been sufficient to get a small taste of what the Zenobia is about. Nonetheless, I may have simply completed one other day or two exploring the opposite areas of the ship. I solely went by means of to the restaurant space contained in the ship which is barely even penetrating the boat.

The divemasters that had been working there instructed me that they had labored there for months diving the Zenobia on a regular basis and there’s one thing new to see each day. So relying in your fashion of diving and what you’re into, you could possibly spend a day or per week diving on this wreck!

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