Boat dive site: “Afonso Cerqueira” wreck

The diving area of Manta Diving Madeira is one attraction richer! On 04/09/2018, the corvette “Afonso Cerqueira” was sunk off Madeira Island especially for divers and is now on its last mission as an artificial reef. An attraction for rich marine life and grandiose scenery for photographers, scuba divers and freedivers. The corvette “Afonso Cerqueira” was completed in Cartagena in 1973, belongs to the “Baptista de Andrade” class, is 85m long and was in service from June 1975 to March 2015. She was tasked with carrying out surveillance and rescue missions in the Azores, Madeira and the exclusive economic zone, as well as participating in national training exercises and international exercises with other naval forces. Now she lies upright at a depth of around 12 to 30 metres and is an integral part of our diving programme … and with all the decks, rooms and guns that can be dived, it is a real top-class wreck.

“With the corvette Afonso Cerqueira, Manta Diving Madeira has what is virtually the perfect wreck within reach of its dive sites. Why? Because on the one hand it can be explored safely, while on the other it radiates so much atmosphere — both inside and out — that not only dedicated “scrap-metal enthusiasts” will fall in love with it.

Before being intentionally sunk as an artificial reef in moderate depth, the Afonso Cerqueira was carefully stripped out, allowing divers with an Advanced Open Water certification to safely explore the engine room, bridge, crew quarters, and other interior sections. At the same time, the 85-meter-long vessel offers exciting multi-level dives that easily satisfy serious wreck enthusiasts and underwater photographers alike. As an oasis rising from the sandy seabed, the AC also attracts an abundance of marine life: stingrays, seabream, and white grouper can often be found beneath the hull.

Around the gun turrets and towering superstructure, countless schooling fish are constantly on the move — including clouds of salema and bogue, barracudas, and, as an added bonus, the occasional large amberjack. Anyone wanting to experience every aspect of this wreck should definitely plan for two dives!
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Daniel Brinkmann

Daniel Brinckmann Journalist, Editor, Scuba Diver Deutschland

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