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Luana
Once a merchant ship, the Luana sank in 1943 during World War II. During one of its regular voyages, the Luana hit a mine, which makes it exceptionally interesting to all divers. Its wreck lies in an upright position, and its faithful visitors are weak sea currents and multitudes of fish. Because of the depth at which it is located, only experienced divers can enter the wreck of the Luana that continues to stand proudly, well-preserved and intact, despite the disaster that struck it.
text: Željko Kamerla in collaboration with the Istria diving centres |
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Vis (ex Renteria)
The cargo steamship Vis was built in 1921 under the name Renteria. In 1946, the Vis set sail for Raša from Rijeka for a load of coal. Because of the minefield had not yet been cleared in the central part of Vela Vrata, the captain was ordered to stay as close the Istrian coastline as possible. However, not far from Cape Mašnjak at the entrance to Plomin Bay, a powerful explosion shook the boat. The shipwrecked crew were saved by a sailing vessel and taken to Rab.Alongside the ship on the seabed, you can see the remains of wooden lifeboats that fell from their places.
text: Željko Kamerla in collaboration with the Istria diving centres |
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Lina (ex Ville de Natur, ex Nueva Estramandura)
This iron steamship was built in 1879 in Great Britain, at a time when iron steamships had already won the race against sailboats. It sailed the entire Mediterranean and up to northern Europe transporting oil and wine from the Italian province of Puglia, and brining back coal from Cardiff on the return voyage. On the night of 14.01.1914, because of thick fog, the ship lost its way while navigating through the Vela Vrata Channel. A heavy storm caused the ship to run aground near Cape Pečen on Cres Island, where it quickly sank.
text: Željko Kamerla in collaboration with the Istria diving centres |
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Argo (ex HMS Flint, ex Royal Navy Isle Class Trawler)
In 1948, the Argo set sail for Rijeka from Venice with a cargo of tomatoes. The ship hit a mine left over from World War II. A strong explosion ripped the vessel in two just behind the commanding bridge. The prow and the stern lie some 50 m apart. Both parts are in an upright position, only slightly sunken in mud. Parts of the ship and ship equipment can be seen strewn between the prow and the stern. Both anchors are still in place.
text: Željko Kamerla in collaboration with the Istria diving centres |
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Cesare Rossarol
The Italian destroyer was built in Genoa in 1913, launched one year later, and met its fate in 1918. When the end of the war was declared, the ship left Pula for Rijeka. About 2 nautical miles from Ližnjana, it struck a mine that tore it in two. The larger fore part is capsized and located towards the north, with a breach in the hull through which you can see bombshells. The stern part, about 30 m long, lies some 300 m to the south in an upright position.
text: Željko Kamerla in collaboration with the Istria diving centres |
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Torpedo
The English torpedo patrol boat went down towards the end of World War II when it hit a mine during a routine patrol. The dramatic explosion split the boat in two. The first part is about 20 – 25 m long and is fully preserved. The second part, 20 m long, lays several meters away, but is destroyed because the English set it on fire to prevent the enemy from getting hold of its radar…
text: Željko Kamerla in collaboration with the Istria diving centres |