Zenobia Wreck

The Zenobia was a roll-on roll-off ferry that developed a list from a ballast fault on her first voyage in 1980 and went down off Larnaca with her cargo of over a hundred articulated lorries still chained to the decks. She lies on her port side in sixteen to forty-two metres of water, a hundred and seventy-two metres long, and is regularly named among the best wreck dives in the world: the lorries are still there, the upper deck is shallow enough for advanced open water divers, and the interior gives penetration routes for those trained for it.

What to look for

• The lorries - over a hundred articulated trucks still chained on the cargo decks.
• The hull - a 172-metre ship lying on her port side.
• The upper structures - accommodation decks and bridge at the shallower end.
• The marine life - groupers, barracuda and shoals that have colonised the wreck.

When to go

April to November has the best conditions and warmest water. Visibility is often excellent year round. Winter diving is possible but surface conditions are less reliable.

Practical notes

This is not a beginner dive: the shallowest structures are around sixteen metres and most of the interest is deeper. Penetration has killed divers, several of them experienced. Currents can run and boats cancel in swell.

Nearby

Larnaca is on the shore, and Ayia Napa is east along the coast.