IPIMAR Wreck

Depth (min - max): -22 m and -29 m                                                                                
Type of dive: shipwreck, deep
Snorkeling: No

• Site Characteristics:

In 1995, IPIMAR (Portuguese Institute for Fisheries and Sea Research) sunk an old iron trawler to serve as an artificial reef. The ship is almost
 intact, and the inside was clean and clear of machinery. The ship is leaning to starboard on a sandy bottom, with the bow pointed to the open sea. It is a very interesting wreck, with some areas where you can enter quite safely. After more than a decade in the seabed, it is going through a very interesting phase of colonization, with the hull almost entirely covered with a big variety of colored organisms.

• Fauna:

Large schools of poutings, seabream, triggerfishes, etc, involve the entire ship, but the big conger eels are the main attraction. If you want to interact with these animals leave it to them to take the initiative and watch them from outside the ship. Do not force or invade their territory, and avoid pointing the light of your flashlight directly in the eyes of these animals.

• Diving tips:

Descend through the cable, going directly to the deepest part of ship, starting your journey beneath the bow. Make a tour throught the ship towards the forecastle. Finish your dive in the highest part of this ship, the cabin tower. Go back to the cable and start your ascent.

• Warning:

A good buoyancy control and proper technique of swimming are essential to prevent damage to the organisms that cover the entire ship. Beware that, due to metal corrosion, some parts can have very sharp edges. Small and white anemones require some attention, as well as the nets we constantly remove from the site, but that tend to reappear.