Scuba diving in MV Antipolis


MV Antipolis is a shallow wreck, which remains lie on a rocky reef 20m/65ft from the shoreline. The oil tanker Antipolis was being towed by a tug with Romelia tanker, from Greece to the Far East to be sold to scrap metal merchants, when in 1977 during a North Westerly gale, the tow cable to the Antipolis snagged on the sea bed and snapped, causing the Antipolis to run aground. The wreck has been cut down to sea level and later has broken up further, lots of bent bits of plate are scattered around the main wreckage. The Antipolis is good for divers of all levels and is best dived in conditions of limited surge.
When to go
Cape Town features wet winters and hot, dry summers. The best period for diving is between October and May when the average sea temperature reaches 16C/59F.
What to see
Points of interest include the stern section and the pump/boiler room, which remain fairly intact. Due to the presence of dense kelp and fine green algae growing all over the wreck, it can be quite hard reaching some areas between the wreck and the shore. The site is not very populated with marine life, but there are many crayfish that inhabit the wreck.
Reachable from
Cape TownLiveaboards with trips to MV Antipolis
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