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Dive Sites

Donator (Prosper Schiaffino SS)

By spotmydive
2020-05-16
featured

Geographic location

Country: France
Region: Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

GPS coordinates

Lat: 42.9933 Lng: 6.2739

Wreck

Length: 78m
Width: 5m
Height: 12m
Nationality: Français
Construction date: 1931
Sinking year: 1945
Number of deaths: 4
Cause of sinking: Mine
Ship Type: Cargo
Propulsion: Vapeur
Tonnage: 1698

Marine life

Barracuda
Grouper
Nudibranch
Moray eel
Scorpionfish
Stingray

Diving conditions

Max Depth: 51m
Current:
Visibility: Very good

When to go diving

From May to October

The wreck of Donator is probably one of the most famous wrecks of France. This ship was made popular by Captain Cousteau who filmed it in a beautiful scene of its movie The Silent World.

Donator: is this the most beautiful wreck of the Mediterranean?

Built in 1931 by a Norwegian shipyards, the ship is 78 meters long and was baptized Donator. Its name changed several times during his long career on the occasion of changes in its ownership.
From 1933 to 1939, the ship was renamed Little Earth while it was transporting bananas from the Caribbean.

From 1939 to 1945, the ship was purchased by the Algerian company “Schiaffino and Brothers” that turns it into a tanker for transporting bulk wine pinardier. The ship was subsequently renamed Prosper Schiaffino. During World War II, the ship also transported troops, equipment and supplies from Corsica until 1943.

Sinking of the Prosper Schiaffino

November 10, 1945, during one of its travel from Algeria, the vessel struck on a drifting mine near the island of Porquerolles in the Var department.

The explosion tore the ship in two and it sunk quickly. The sinking cost the lives of four sailors. Another wreck, very close to the first: “The Sagona,” called the Greek, will sink, few month later under almost similar conditions.

An extraordinary dive site

The wreck of Donator lies between 35 and 51 meters deep making and is dedicated to level 3 divers and technical divers. The boat has several major points of interest such as its corridors, its steering wheel, its main propeller, its hold, where you’ll see the sleeping area, and its small kitchen.
The ship’s hull is covered with beautiful yellow and red gorgonians around which many fish frolics such as barracuda, scorpion fish, groupers, moray eels, bream, bream and even stingrays.

You’ll understand this dive spot has much to offer and is one of the best dive sites in France.

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All comments

  • CHAUVEAU Claire
    2020-05-16

    Splendide plongée !
    Il n’y a rien a dire, pour une épave elle est synonyme de Hot Spot de Biodiversité aussi avec des foret de Gorgone et des rivères de poissons ! Attention au palmes trop longue type palme de chasse ou palme trop souples, des jetfin seront plus appropriées pour ce type de plongée surtout qu’il peut y avoir du courant souvent !

  • Joseph Lukas
    2020-05-16

    Superbe epave

  • coquelin harold
    2020-05-16

    plongé sportive a ne pas aborder comme une petite plongé sans challenge , le courant peut être fort , descente en pleine eau , mais le cadeau au fond est magnifique … superbe épave .

  • Mickael Finey
    2020-05-16

    Impressive wreck !!!

  • Pozo Henri
    2020-05-16

    L’épave mythique des environs, très bien conservé après 55 ans sous l’eau. Attention le courant peut être fort donc il est important de bien préparer cette plongée

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