MS Zenobia, Cyprus’s Treasured Wreck


Posted January 20, 2021 by Pissouribaydrivers

The story of a shipping tragedy turning into profiting tourism
 
Divers come from across the globe to explore and admire the mystical beauty of the underwater world which took on to the wreck of MS Zenobia, one of the world’s most famous sites for shipwreck diving.

“Taking groups of divers out to do shipwreck diving at MS Zenobia is always such a treat. The story of how a brand-new vessel sunk on what was only her second voyage grabs the attention of divers and non-divers alike. The hype around the shipwreck and the keen interest to see the inside of her loins is giving the local tourism the financial injection, it needs to flourish. The dive itself is amazing. While the belly of the ship is alive with vibrant sea life which took it on as their natural habitat, the carcasses of the meat she was carrying and which turned by now to nothing but bones is always an eerie sight,” says the owner of the prominent diving company on the Cyprus coast, Pissouri Bay Divers, Steve Theakston.

MS Zenobia is a Roll-on-Roll-off ferry. The Swedish company who built her set her to water in 1979 and it was only on her second voyage that her ballasts caused problems and caused her to capsize and sink. She had sunk just off the coast of Cyprus and had a load of 104 lorries carrying goods such as eggs and meat to Syria. Today some of these goods can still be seen scattered across the ocean floor where she came to rest.

“The story surrounding the entire event is very interesting. It is a story that started with many conspiracy theories. Later, authorities confirmed that her demise was due to her ballast problems. She docked in the harbor of Larnaca for a while to see if she could rectify her ballast concerns. Unfortunately, the risk of having her sink in the harbor was too high and the harbormaster had to block all shipping to prevent such a disaster. Thus, she was towed out into the ocean, 1.5 km off the coast of Larnaca, and as her problem only became worse, her captain had to make the call to abandon ship,” Theakston, a former military man of the British Army, shares passionately.

Today the belly of the ferry is home to a wide range of various kinds of fish such as Groupers, Barracuda, Moray, and Lionfish as well as many turtles and is widely known as the best spot in Cyprus for shipwreck diving.

About Us

Our team at Pissouri Bay Divers believes that you will not find any better diving experience than when you go down to the bottom of the ocean with any of our highly qualified diving instructors. We put safety first, but merely a short distance ahead of making sure you enjoy an interesting adventure. Our founder is a man who served in the British Army and after spending some time stationed in Cyprus, opted to bid his career in military service farewell in 2017. He expanded on his wide range of diving qualifications and now helps visitors to explore the magic of the location. Visit our website at https://pissouribaydivers.com/ or speak to us via phone or email and see how we can make your dreams of getting to know the world below the surface, reality.
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Contact Email [email protected]
Issued By Stephen Theakston
Phone 96530761
Business Address 13 Neville Avenue
Country United Kingdom
Categories Sports
Tags diving in larnaca , diving in limassol , diving in paphos
Last Updated January 20, 2021