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10 forgotten worlds you can rediscover through scuba diving

Scuba diving, ship wrecks, ruins, natural wonders and underwater sculpture parks
Scuba diving, ship wrecks, ruins, natural wonders and underwater sculpture parks

The distant past is closer than you think. Under the sea, in rivers, lakes and flooded valleys, traces of forgotten worlds await discovery. From immaculately preserved Roman mosaics to locomotive engines blasted from the decks of supply ships, they are fragments of time captured and preserved in water.

Our oceans are littered with wrecks from 7,000 years of marine commerce and warfare. The two most celebrated concentrations of shipwrecks are found in Scapa Flow, Orkney (German, dating from the First World War) and Chuuk Lagoon in the remote Pacific island group of Micronesia (Japanese, Second World War). These draw wreck divers in their thousands every year, all in search of the sombre thrill of witnessing the afterlife of a war machine.

When we enter the water, we change. Unfettered by gravity, our perception shifts as we are embraced by the liquid world. Our experience of history and nature becomes intensely personal, as if the medium is feeding our imagination.

A Japanese wreck in Truk Lagoon - iStock
A Japanese wreck in Truk Lagoon - iStock

You will find shipwrecks of varying vintage in the list that follows, but there are other locations in which to seek out submerged history. These are hidden places, where the natural processes of decay have been stalled by water.
Here, then, is my guide to time travel by scuba (or snorkel), beginning 5,000 years ago in ancient Greece.

Pavlopetri City, Peloponnese, Greece (3,000 BC)

The extensive underwater ruins of Pavlopetri are believed to be about 5,000 years old, making it the oldest known underwater city. The site is shallow, basking in the clear water and bright sunlight of the Ionian Sea. As it is an ancient site, all signs of ­settlement have been subsumed into what looks initially like a series of shallow reefs and gullies. Still, even to the untrained eye it becomes evident that the array of raised walls, avenues and enclosures represents the remains of a bygone civilisation. First discovered by marine geo-archaeologist Dr Nicholas Flemming in 1967, it is thought the city was flooded by the first of three earthquakes. The area could never be resettled, so what remains in that azure water represents a frozen snapshot of its time.

Dive in: Due to the site’s designation as a Unesco park, full scuba gear is not permitted. Not a problem, as all you need for the shallow ruins are mask, fins and snorkel. You can access the site at Pavlopetri Beach and simply stroll into the water, but remember the strict rule – do not touch any structures or artefacts

Amphora wrecks, Croatia (200 AD)

When Roman-era ships sank in Mediterranean storms, their wooden hulls and decks were eaten away by shipworm, leaving clusters of stacked amphorae. These hefty ceramic containers were used for the transportation of olive oil, wine and the fish sauce Romans used as a piquant relish.

The northern side of Host, an island in Vis Bay, has two amphora wrecks dating from the 2nd century. Though a fair number of the chunky jars have broken up in storms, their formation conjures up the space they once occupied in the ghost-hold of the wooden ship that has now rotted away.

Historic amphora the sea - iStock
Historic amphora the sea - iStock

Amphorae were the receptacles of commerce at a time when trade was expanding across the Mediterranean; today, they provide shelter for moray eels and octopus. The clusters can be found as shallow as 30ft, so they can be viewed when snorkelling, if conditions are favourable. For divers licensed to explore as deep as 115ft, a fully intact amphora can be found standing upright, not far from a millstone that was used as an anchor.

Dive in: Nautica Vis Diving Centre can arrange visits for divers of all ability levels. Staff can also advise
on land-based activities and history tours (divingvis.com).

Ruins of Baiae, Gulf of Naples, Italy (100-500 AD)

If diving over the likely scene of a full-blooded Roman orgy floats your boat, Baiae could be your kind of town. A fashionable resort towards the end of the Roman Republic era, it collapsed into the sea due to volcanic activity (or a disapproving god?) and the party was over. The full extent of Baiae’s lost city was discovered only in the 1940s, when anItalian air-force pilot photographed the shapes of walls, columns and roads while flying at low altitude.

A dive guide shows tourists a mosaic from Terme del Lacus, the submerged ancient Roman city of Baiae at the Baiae Underwater Park - Getty
A dive guide shows tourists a mosaic from Terme del Lacus, the submerged ancient Roman city of Baiae at the Baiae Underwater Park - Getty

Today, Baiae is one of the most satisfying of the “lost cities”; it can be explored either by scuba or snorkel, and the surviving artefacts are impressive. Detailed mosaics from luxury villas remain in situ; you can almost imagine a rotund praetor staggering across the tiles in pursuit of some unspeakable decadence.

Dive in: The Archaeological Marine Park of Baia was created in 2002 to protect the site and promote sustainable tourism. It encompasses seven underwater sites, at depths ranging from about 16ft to 42ft. Book a tour with Subaia ­Campania divers (subaia.com).

The Coronation Trail, Devon, England (1691)

Get yourself a well-fitting drysuit and the endless possibilities of British diving will amaze you. Otherwise, this artefact-rich wreck trail can be dived in a thick wetsuit from July through to September. The site is mostly at 60ft-66ft, a little deep for newly qualified divers, but easy enough for those with a reasonable amount of experience.

The Coronation was a 90-gun, ­second-rate ship of the line, launched in 1685 and capsized off Plymouth in 1691. All her crew, bar an estimated 17 to 23 individuals, were lost.

Coronation cannon trail, Plymouth
Coronation cannon trail, Plymouth

Today, the remains of this maritime tragedy can be found by picking your way through the kelp-lined gullies that define the shallow seas off Plymouth. A group of local divers has set up a trail to help you find the cannon, anchors, musket balls and cannon shot nestling in the swaying kelp.

Dive in: Exploring the Coronation without a licence is against the law; instead, join the tours organised by its custodians at the Coronation Wreck Project (coronationwreck.org).

Silfra fissure, Thingvellir National Park, Iceland (1789)

Silfra is a crack created by the birth pains of continental drift – at one point it is so narrow that a snorkeller or diver can bridge the American and Eurasian continental plates with outstretched arms. Silfra’s other big sell is its preternatural visibility – up to 330ft, making it the clearest water on the planet.

No rivers run into the fissure – it is fed by filtered meltwater from Langjokull, Iceland’s second-largest glacier, which makes its way slowly through porous underground lava for up to 100 years before reaching Silfra. You could even have a sip while negotiating the cathedral-like spaces. The water is clean, but very cold (0C-4C), so perhaps save your thirst for a reviving hot chocolate when you exit the water at the area known as “the Lagoon”.

Dive in: Although snorkelling is possible at Silfra, most operators prefer their snorkellers to be qualified scuba divers. A drysuit course is strongly recommended. Book your trip at dive.is.

Scuba diving at Silfra, Iceland at the Continental divide - iStock
Scuba diving at Silfra, Iceland at the Continental divide - iStock

Blenheim Bomber wreck, Malta (1941)

Most aircraft wrecks are barely recognisable debris fields – the wings shear off and the front end typically shatters on contact with water. However, a few survive with minimal damage, especially in situations where the pilot has put down over water to save the lives of the crew. So it was with the Second World War Bristol Blenheim Bomber, hit by enemy Italian aircraft while on a mission to the Greek island of Kefalonia. The pilot turned back to try and reach Malta, but had to land in glider mode, putting down as gently as possible to stop the aircraft breaking up. Amazingly, the crew of three survived, suffering only minor injuries. As they swam to land, the Blenheim would have sunk gently to the ivory white sandy seabed 140ft below, undamaged save for some bent propellers and the ruined port engine. Today, 80 years later, it looks like some giant bird of prey slumbering on the pillowy sand, 550 yards off Xrobb l-Ghagin on Malta’s east coast.

This isn’t some austere monument to war and sacrifice. Rather, the intact props and missing cockpit cover speak of a daring escape, a delicate landing performed under extreme duress. For me, this structure stands as a monument to our survival instinct, beautifully offset by the cobalt-blue water of Malta.

A diver on the wreck of the Bristol Blenheim bomber shot and which crashed in December 1941, Malta, Mediterranean - Alamy
A diver on the wreck of the Bristol Blenheim bomber shot and which crashed in December 1941, Malta, Mediterranean - Alamy

Dive in: In contrast to many Maltese sites that can be visited as shore dives, you need boat cover for the Blenheim.
It is relatively far from shore and 140ft is the feisty side of “deep” for recreational divers. Dive it safely with maltaqua.com.

SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt (1941)

Perhaps more than any other shipwreck, the Thistlegorm brings the history of its era tangibly to life. This armed British Merchant Navy ship was on its way from Glasgow to Alexandria with a cargo of military supplies in September 1941 when she was sunk by German bombers.

Today, the shattered wreck of the Thistlegorm is a living museum, feted by the diving community. They come to admire the stacked cargo, patrolled by glassfish in the gloom of the ship’s holds. There are Bren guns, aircraft parts, military vehicles and BSA motorcycles still packed in their travel cases. A locomotive engine sits upright on the sand next to the wreck, having been blasted off the deck in the explosion.

Sea life coral and lionfish fish Shipwreck Diving SS Thistlegorm - iStock
Sea life coral and lionfish fish Shipwreck Diving SS Thistlegorm - iStock

The wreck bottoms out at about 115ft, but the main attractions can be found inside the holds just below deck level. You don’t need to go deep, but you do need to feel comfortable diving in darkness, using a torch to pick out details in the stillness of the holds.

If the parade of wartime paraphernalia palls, try to make sense of the forest of mangled metal in the midships area, where the massive bombs found their target.

Dive in: Book a liveaboard dive boat with Scuba Travel (scubatravel.com) or a day boat from Sharm el Sheikh with Camel Dive (cameldive.com).

Valentine Tanks of Studland Bay, Dorset, England (1944)

Nothing can prepare you for the surreal vision of Second World War tanks 60ft down in Dorset’s jade-green water. The armoured vehicles didn’t fall from a transport ship, nor were they deliberately placed there to become artificial reefs. They are genuine casualties of war, specifically Exercise Smash in April 1944, a rehearsal for D-Day in which troops gathered at Studland to rehearse the Normandy landings.

Second World War tanks 60ft down in Dorset’s jade-green water - Simon Rogerson
Second World War tanks 60ft down in Dorset’s jade-green water - Simon Rogerson

Part of the exercise was to test the amphibious vehicles, which resulted in the loss of six lives. The tanks were fitted with canvas screens that could be raised or lowered pneumatically to allow them to float. On the day of the test, surface conditions were simply too rough, and seven were lost. Today, they provide an aggregation point for shoals of bib, which mass around the tanks in their burnished ranks.

Dive in: The tanks are too deep for snorkellers, but ideal for novice divers. Book a boat dive with Divers Down on board Spike, skippered by Swanage legend Pete Williams ­(diversdownswanage.co.uk).

Continental Shelf Station II, Sha’ab Rumi, Sudan (1963)

Just as today’s billionaires hurl themselves into outer space, so the futurists of the 1960s were obsessed with inhabiting the ocean floor. Jacques Cousteau, the ­originator of the aqualung, persuaded the petrochemical industry to fund a manned colony that would supposedly provide a template for future base stations. The setting for this experiment was the offshore reef of Sha’ab Rumi, in the Sudanese Red Sea, where Cousteau’s team set up a starfish-shaped ­accommodation block and a sub­marine hangar for his novelty two-man “diving saucer”.

Diving Cousteaus Underwater Habitat Precontinent II, Shaab Rumi, Red Sea, Sudan - Getty
Diving Cousteaus Underwater Habitat Precontinent II, Shaab Rumi, Red Sea, Sudan - Getty

The “house” was removed after the 30-day project, but the urchin-shaped submarine garage still remains, as do remnants of the experiments featured in the 1964 documentary World Without Sun. The abandoned shark cages have collapsed, but the hangar stands defiant, a holdfast for sponges and corals. Ultimately, the concept of underwater living came to a dead end, being financially unviable. At Sha’ab Rumi you can swim around the abandoned structures that signalled the end of a generation’s Atlantean ambitions.

Dive in: Book the Royal Evolution liveaboard dive boat, sailing from southern Egypt into Sudanese waters and thus sparing you the ordeal of entry into the country via Port Sudan’s oppressive airport (royalevolution.com).

Underwater Sculpture Park, Grenada, West Indies (2006 )

Grenada is renowned as the capital of wreck-diving in the Caribbean, but it is also home to the world’s first underwater sculpture park, which can be visited either on snorkel or scuba. The park’s triumphant first installation was Vicissitudes by Jason deCaires Taylor, comprising the concrete figures of 26 Grenadian children holding hands, positioned in a circle.

Amazing sculptures on the ocean floor at Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada, the Caribbean - iStock
Amazing sculptures on the ocean floor at Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada, the Caribbean - iStock

The piece prompts some profound emotional responses. Some believe it is a work of optimism, presenting a “circle of life”, while others say the figures represent slaves thrown off ships. For me, both interpretations ring true, but I am more interested in the manner in which the figures are gradually being enveloped by sponges, corals and other marine turf. This transformation speaks of the passage of time, as art is overwhelmed by nature and becomes an aspect of history itself. The cement figures have become living organisms, their new lives a gift from the sea.

Dive in: The park is ideal for snorkellers, though you will be out of your depth, so a buoyancy jacket may be necessary. Book your visit with Phil Saye’s Dive Grenada (divegrenada.com).