The Zenobia Dive One
The Zenobia wreck in Cyprus has to be in the top 3 wrecks for me, as it has everything to offer and leaves you wanting more.
A usual trip to the Zenobia consists of two dives and the following is a brief overview of the first of the two dives on the Zenobia wreck.
Location: Larnaca
Type Of Dive: Boat Dive
Entry: Giant Stride
Exit: Using The Ladders Provided On Boat
Dive Time: 30 – 45 Mins
Length Of Zenobia Wreck: 165m
Depth From Surface To The Wreck: 18m
Depth To The Bottom Of Zenobia Wreck: 42m
Pre- Requisite For Diving The Zenobia: Advanced Open Water or Equivalent.
Dive One On The Zenobia Wreck In Cyprus
The first dive on the wreck is normally at the Stern of the vessel and this is where you find the huge propellers of the ship. The propellers are located at a depth of around 25-27m and they are a sight to be seen. The sheer size of them is overwhelming and really is an amazing sight as you approach the wreck.Tip: If you look just in front of the propellers you can usually see the resident Moray Eel that lives in the prop shaft.
Once we have had a good look around the propellers and taken some great photos (the propellers are a great place for you to pose for the Camera!) we then make our way around to the back doors of the ship. Once again, the back doors of the ship are huge and these too are an amazing sight as you swim round and approach them.
As you look down to the sea bed from this area, you can see 2 of the lorries that slipped from the ship and are now resting on to the sea bed. These now provide a great swim through down at 41 meters (for the divers that are qualified to do so).
Please Note: If you don’t have the Deep Diver Speciality qualification and would like to know more about it or simply discuss the course with a member of our team, then the Cyprus Diving Centre would be more than happy to help you with your enquiries and help you achieve the qualification)
As we swim through the gap between the back doors, we can see this massive wreck disappearing into the distance. To our right hangs a lorry that only in the last 5 years or so slipped her chains. Due to the articulated lorry slipping her chains, the lorry was jackknifed to make her safe so she wouldn’t fall to the sea bed causing damage to the wreck and marine life around it.As we swim further through, to our left down at 41.4m is the remains of a lorry that was carrying eggs but sadly, only a few of the eggs remain for us to see today. Carrying on with our dive we make our way towards the funnels and over the upturned lorries.
If you look in between the wreckage you can usually see Moray Eels and there are a lot of the big Groupers in this area too! As we swim further you start to see in the distance the outline of another lorry hanging on what appears to be the side of the wreck but it is actually the floor of the ship. Over the years, this lorry has been a great place to take photos. Divers could sit inside her pretending to drive the vehicle but over time, the roof of the cab has almost rotted away due to all the air bubbles that have been created. At this stage of the dive, we are now almost in the middle of ship and at the entrance to the upper Lorry Deck. On a good clear day you can see from one end of the deck to the other and you can see a small blue letter box opening in the distance some 75 metres away. (This is a swim through for the more qualified divers with the right level of training and qualifications)
Here in the Lorry Deck, we can see a lorry that was carrying cattle and even to this day, you can still see the remains of the bones laying in the trailer. Some people say that the cattle was alive but if you look close you can see that it was a refrigerated lorry meaning it was only carrying carcus stock and not live stock.
Just above this lorry you can peer through one of the door ways that leads into the Accommodation Block. (This is another of the swim throughs but over the years the inside of this block has started to drop so again only for the advanced wreck diver)
Now we come onto the side of the Zenobia ship wreck and start to make our way back to the Stern, swimming over many Port holes for you to look into. Once we are just past the middle of the ship, we start to make our way away from the wreck and out to the top of the funnels. (This again is another great place for a photo next to the hole in the funnel). From here we then make our way back to the side of the wreck, over the jackknifed lorry and towards our Shot Line and this is where we make our way up to the safety stop before we exit back onto the boat.
Things To Look Out For On This Part Of The Dive.
On the first dive of the Zenobia, most people are overwhelmed by the sheer size of the wreck. There is so much to take in and just seeing the wreck and its vast structure beneath the water is breathtaking for the first time. However, try to take a look at all of the lorries and how they are strewn all over the wreck, upside down and on their sides.Marine Life On The Zenobia
There are plenty of different types of marine life to see on the first dive and you should try to look out for the Groupers around the bottom of the wreck, Jacks, Tuna and Barracuda. We do see the odd turtle around this area too (well that’s if you can keep your camera focused on it ha ha!!).There really is plenty to see on the Zenobia wreck and also just off into the blue as well. Your first dive of the Zenobia will certainly be a memorable one and you still have the second dive to look forward to!