Diving Wreck for Santa Ponsa

an attraction to the scuba diving fraternity

The local authorities in Calvia have had a plan to create and artificial reef by sinking a ship off the coast of Santa Ponsa since 2005 and it looks like it will finally get approval by the central government today.

The council proposed that an old navy frigate, F71 Baleares, should be sunk 400 metres to the east of the Isla Malgrats, which can easily be seen from Santa Ponsa, at a depth of around 40 metres. They wanted to do this to provide an attraction to the scuba diving fraternity who are perceived to be the perfect quality tourism for the area.

Of course the project had its detractors, the coastal authorities and environmental groups who saw the wreck as a source of contamination on the sea bed. Greenpeace were firmly against it, Oceana said it would not be a danger if F71 was decontaminated correctly before scuttling it and would actually create a better biodiversity in the sea as an artificial reef.

Barring any last minute upsets it looks like the old frigate, a rocket launcher, 133 metre long by 14 metres wide, will soon be in Davy Jones' locker. I wonder what its former crew members think?

Published 15 September 2011 Stephen White.