Luftwaffe Junkers 88 Wreck

At the easternmost tip of Ithaca, on the crest of a sloping reef that shortly reaches the contour line of 100 meters, lay the remains of a Luftwaffe Ju88 twin-engine bomber. The aircraft met its fate as it ditched a short distance offshore reportedly hit by allied fire.

Dive starts at the shot line on top of the reef at 12 m following the slope to the first Jumo 211 engine. It is shocking to imagine the force of the crash as the two engines can be found far apart at 22 and 28 meters and further away the tail sitting at 36m. On the steep slope bellow, aluminum remains indicate the path of fuselage and the wings drifting towards the abyss, undiscovered by divers so far. Apart from the aircraft remains, divers have the chance to explore the magnificent reef where large predators such as amberjacks and dentex and even dolphins or tunas occasionally, feed on the clouds of sardines and damselfish, while on the sides of the reef agile mottled groupers ambush to chase their prey. On the way back, divers can find many more, smaller scattered pieces of the aircraft, such as the standard twin machine gun and discover slipper lobsters and morays hiding in the crevices of the reef. Heading to the shot line to initiate the ascend and safety stops, the seagrass meadows bellow may grant the chance of seeing schools of barracudas. Quite often divers can catch the currents into a drift dive.

The average depth or the dive is 20 m, while the max is 37, reserving the site for experienced divers. The visibility is usually greater than 20m while temperature ranges between 18-26 C in summer months, depending on depth. Occasionally there may be strong currents close to the surface. Boat ride duration 35′.