 Diving Partners
|
Diving BulgariaBulgaria is not the first destination you think of to go diving, but is emerging as a new diving area. The diving is in the Black Sea. This is an inland sea which connects to the Mediterranean through the Bosporus Strait via the Sea or Marmara and the Dardanelles Strait. The Black Sea is less salty than the Mediterranean. Surface water from the Black Sea travels into the Mediterranean, whilst deeper water from the Med goes the opposite way. The diving season runs from April until November. A friend of mine dived Bulgaria some years ago and remarked that there was nothing there but mussels. But he may well have been in the wrong place as there are many World War II and more ancient wrecks. Bulgaria Dive Sites • Bulgaria Diving Operators • Books to Take to Bulgaria • Your Comments
Bulgaria Dive SitesOur thanks to Iliana of Dive Center Baracuda for much of the dive site information here.
"Regele Carol I" was launched in 1898. On 6 October 1941, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Florian Popescu, Carol laid anti-submarine mines in the southern part of Midia-Tuzla barrage, together with the NMS Amiral Murgescu and NMS Dacia mine laying ships, during Operation Varna. On 10 October 1941, at 11:50 hours, after having left Varna harbor with a new load of mines, Carol hit a mine and sunk in 13 minutes, 2 miles away of Galata Burnu lighthouse. The ship was found on 23.5 meters depth. Elevation above the ground 6.1 meters. There is another version of the death of the ship, its torpedo attack by the Soviet submarine U-211.
Submarine U-211 was launched in 1938. Lost after 14 November 1941 near Cape Akburnu south of Varna, Bulgaria. Most likely mined in Romanian minefield S-18. All hands lost. 15 Aug 1941 ShCh-211 torpedoes and sinks the Rumanian merchant Peles north east of Cape Emine, Bulgaria. The Italian tanker Superga is missed in the same attack. 16 Aug 1941 At 1425 hours ShCh-211 fires a torpedo against the Romanian merchant Ardeal near Cape Emine, Bulgaria. The torpedo missed its target. 29 Nov 1941 ShCh-211 torpedoes and damages the Italian tanker Superga off Cape Emine, Bulgaria. 27 Dec 2005 The wreck of SC-211 found at cape Galata, near Varna-off bulgarian coast. Confirmed by Russian navy divers to be the SC-211. The submarine was found on 25 meters depth.
It was launched in November 1904 in the Black sea city Nikolaev (now in Ukraine) and came into service in August 1907. On 26th March 1907 its initial name "Zadornai" was changed to "Lieutenant Pushchin" (in Russian - Pushtin). Lieutenant Leonid P. Pushchin was a naval officer, participant in the Russian - Turkish war (1877-1878). In September 1907 the ship was classified as a destroyer. In the period 1910 - 1912 "Lieutenant Pushchin" was entirely rehabilitated and its artillery and steam generators were renovated. Yet during the first day of the First World War the ship came into battle with the Turkish-German battleship "Gyoben" and suffered severe damages. It was rehabilitated to enter the artillery support of the Russian troops at the Caucasian front and participated in battles near the Bulgarian Black sea coastal lines. During one of the battles, on 25th February 1916 it hit a Bulgarian mine. As a result of the blast it hull was broken in two and plunged. The sailors who survived the blast reached the Bulgarian shore with two boats and were held in captivity. The destroyer sailing right after "Lieutenant Pushchin" - "Jivoy" quickly abandoned the position and reported in Sevastopol that the ships were attacked by German submarines. After the plunge of "Lieutenant Pushchin" ten Bulgarian officers were rewarded with military decorations for the successful implementation of the mining barrage, which destroyed the ship. Historians consider the plunge of "Lieutenant Pushchin" as the second Bulgarian naval victory after the successful attack of the torpedo boat "Drazki" against the Turkish cruiser "Hamidie" on the 8th November 1912. "Lieutenant Pushchin" displaces 450 tons of water, it is armed with two 75-mm guns, four 7,62 mm machine-guns, two torpedoes and 18 mines. Two steam generators of 5500 horsepower allow it to reach a velocity of 24 knots. The ship is broken in two and it lies at 33 m. depth.
"Series of shallow wrecks including steamship."
Bulgaria Diving OperatorsRecommend a dive operator or list your diving company on this page.
Dive Center Baracuda "We may show you wreck submarines and ships from the World War 2 and many beautiful reefs. In Black Sea you may see: Sea horses, Blue fish, Black Sea turbot and Common stingray. Our dive center has two compressors for air and for Enriched Air and twenty full Mares equipment sets. Our team consists of two Dive Masters and two Diving instructors who are speaking English, German, Russian and Estonian.
"
Black Sea Scuba BSAC diving school, PADI centre, IDC and CMAS. Have three dive boats and regularly dive up to 20 wrecks.
PADI 5 star resort located in Nessebar, and to the South Tzareo.
Albena Diving Center Open May to October.
Books to TakeYour CommentsPlease send us your comments on Bulgaria. Do you want to recommend a diving centre or dive site? Let us know. Have a question - try our Diving Board. If you own a dive centre get yourself added. |
|
|
Tweet
