Rigoletto wreck
The “Rigoletto” is one of the most fascinating wrecks of the Strait of Messina. It was a factory ship with large cargo holds, 105 m long, sunk in the 50s near the Messina shore. It was carrying cars, which are easily visible even today in its holds. It’s impressive to see the large propeller blades, which stand out at 35 m against the blue background.
We reach the wreck by a short voyage with rubber dinghy leaving from the coast of Calabria. It lies on a steep sloping bottom: years ago the bow stuck out of the water, now lies at 5 m, while the stern is located about 35 m deep.
Wreck full of life, encrusted by numerous benthic species (colored sponges, urchins, transparent sea squirts, starfish, sea slugs) and surrounded by dense shoals of various fish species. Congers and large moray eels are common meetings among the wreck crevices.
Visibility is generally good, often excellent, conditioned by the strong currents of the Strait of Messina (required the presence of expert guides).
Historical photo – Giorgio Spazzapan collection, courtesy relitti.it
| Place | Strait of Messina |
|---|---|
| Dive type | Recreational Dive |
| Minimum depth | 0 m |
| Maximum depth | 35 m |
| Bottom type | Sandy seabed with debris |
| Difficulty | Low-Medium |
| Level required | 1st level (Open Water Diver) or 2nd (Advanced) |
| Interest | Biological and photographic interest |
| Notes | Abundant presence of shoals of damselfishes and swallowtail seaperches, moreover groupers, breams, snappers, amberjacks, moray eels. Presence of nudibranchs and sessile organisms too. |
