This boat was sunk in 1995 by the “IPIMAR - Portuguese Research Institute for the sea and fishing” to become an artificial reef. You will find it on a sand bottom leaning on his Starboard side with its bow facing the open sea. After more than one decade to develop and attract life to it you will find some large conger eels, octopus and spider crabs, among many other fish. Even being 50 meters long you can comfortable dive all the boat in one dive, exploring under and also in where there are dive troughs that are safe for you to explore more. The boat is in one piece and it was completely clean on the inside allowing some entrances for the more experienced.
This airplane went down during the 2nd World War - 30th November 1943. It belonged to the American Navy and it was looking out for enemy submarines in the area. It had 11 people on board, 6 died on impact, the other were saved by a local fisherman. It is today a very fragile structure where you identify the 2 wings and the motors and as well the landing gear. The main part of the airplane was never found. There is an extensive area with parts of the plain that can be easily found by a navigation exercise. The site has been mapped out with descriptions and directions on where to go which makes for an interesting dive. Look out for cuttlefish, octopus and much more.
In 2000-2002 there was many Artificial Reefs being put down along the Algarve coastline to encourage more life to these areas. This Medium sized Barge sunk while constructing one of these underwater artificial reefs - The Captain decided in his infatuate wisdom to unload the Cement blocks from one side of the boat first then as you say the rest is history :-), next to it you can find the crane used to put the large blokes of cement in the water, it lays in sand and it is in perfect conditions.
Titan´s Crane is about 40 - 50 meters to the side of the main Barge that sunk while constructing the underwater artificial reef, it has attracted a considerable amount of live around it. On this site you also have most of the Cement blocks around the Crane to explore first in the deeper part, you can find Large congor eels here, then you can work your way up the crane swimming between it where the vast amount of life is (this is also very good for photography with the light coming through the structure of the crane and the fish) till you reach the top and the end of your dive where there is a cement block sitting on the top like a "Cherry on the Cake" :)
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© Indigo Divers Albufeira
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Albufeira
Vilamoura
Portimão & Benagil
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