Kaptan Ismail Hakki Wreck

Location: Peloponnese, Greece

Also known as: Agia Marina Wreck Neapoli, Ismail Hakki Wreck, Kaptan Ismail Hakki

Max depth: 11m · Difficulty: Open Water · Coordinates: 36.436241, 23.142523

Tags: Wreck, Shore Dive, Shallow, Snorkel-Friendly

The Kaptan Ismail Hakki is a Turkish diesel cargo vessel (498 GRT, built 1969 by Gesan Shipyard in Istanbul for Deval Shipping Group) that sank in the bay of Agia Marina near Neapoli Voion, Lakonia, on January 30, 1978. On its final voyage from Izmir to Marseille carrying 578 tons of iron ore and a white Renault automobile, the vessel ran into violent gale-force seas off the notorious Cape Maleas. A sudden shift of the heavy mineral cargo caused the freighter to list severely, leaving the crew unable to right the ship just 100 meters off the coast. Seeing the ship in distress during the stormy night, a local shepherd lit bonfires along the narrow sandy stretch of Agia Marina beach to guide the crew's lifeboats away from the lethal rocky cliffs. Thanks to his quick thinking, all crew members reached the shore safely with zero casualties; in gratitude, the sailors gifted their lifeboat to the shepherd. Today, the wreck lies on its port side on white sand between 4 and 12 meters depth (reaching 16 meters at the stern). Its propeller, rudder, engine components, and the deterioration of the car in the cargo hold remain clearly visible, creating an exceptional shallow wreck dive and snorkeling site.

Marine life: Documented species observed at the wreck include fireworms, moray eels, octopuses, groupers, damselfish, nudibranchs, and schools of Mediterranean sea bream.

Access: Shore entry via a rocky path from the coastal road near the church of Agia Marina, approximately 12 kilometers south of Neapoli Voion. Divers can walk into the water from the rocky platform and swim approximately 100 meters offshore to the wreck.

Safety: Depth ranges from 4 to 11 meters with visibility typically between 10 and 30 meters. Mild coastal currents can occur during southerly winds. Be mindful of sharp rusted metal edges when swimming close to the hull.