SS Stavronikita

Also known as: Stavronikita · S.S. Stavronikita · The Stav

The Stavronikita was a Greek freighter whose engine room was gutted by fire; the ship was towed to Barbados, bought by the government, prepared for divers and scuttled in November 1978 to create an artificial reef. She rests upright, with the bow at about 70 ft, the propeller near 140 ft and the top of the foremast only some 15 to 20 ft below the surface. The masts are heavily overgrown with sponges, corals and black coral and crowded with fish. Cut-outs give easy access to corridors, cabins and a large cargo hold for divers with the right training. Hawksbill turtles and moray eels shelter around the hull, and barracuda and snappers are resident on the wreck. Local operators rate it among the top wreck dives of the Caribbean.