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Diving at ship wreck the Carina
| Name Dive Site: | Shag Rock, Carina |
| Depth: | 5-15m (16-49ft) |
| Visibility: | 10-30m (32-98ft) |
| Inserted/Added by: | lars, © Author: Lars Hemel |
| Rated: | Rated 1.0, 3 votes |
| Specifications: |     |
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The Carina was an 18 century sail and steamship which has many secrets. She has a length op 50 meters and lies in only ten meters of water. People refer to its location as the northern part of Shag Rock, but actually this piece of reef is an extension of nearby Sha'ab Ali. The southern part, famous because of the Kingston or Carina, is officially named Shag Rock. Its origin of name is not very clear and is most probably given by local fisherman. Some say it has something to do with the stars as the Carina was originally part of a large star constellation.
There is not much left of the original ship, which lies on her starboard side and sank in 1926. The iron hull and stern are still quite intact. The masts, engine, propeller and boilers can still be seen, some scattered around the place. As there is a lot of current, often coming from the north, diving is often done as a one way drift across the wreck. Live-aboard tours like to do this dive as a shallow third dive of the day before spending the night in the sheltered parts of Sha'ab Ali.
It is an old wreck which results in many species of fish and pelagic. The ship is covered with different species of hard and soft corals. There is a reef nearby which has definitely increased this process as species made this ship their home very quickly. Enjoy this easy but beautiful dive.
[Add Message]Messages from readers:
Name: paul_gray
Can you tell me anything about the origins or former owners of Carina where and when she was built? My g.grandfather Henry Cloake owned 4 ships one called the Carina in Cardiff in the late 1800's My grandmother recalled how they went from S.wales to the med with coal, bringing back oranges, walnuts etc. I would be pleased for any information. Thank you. Paul Gray.
We will be glad to help you with this information. Some of our editors are looking for it.
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