Diving deep down into the blue in search of things claimed by the sea is a thrilling experience. The waters along the coast of Romagna conceal objects from the recent past, and if you have a scuba licence, you can discover and photograph these beautiful sites thanks to the dives organised by certified diving centres.
The most famous wreck on the Riviera’s sea floor just 14 miles offshore from Lido Adriano is the Paguro wreck, named after an oil platform that exploded and sank 25 metres down in 1965. It has become an environmental conservation area where fishing is prohibited.
Diving in this nearly 6,000- square-metre area promises encounters with various species of marine fauna, such as invertebrates, crustaceans and fish, like brown meagres, saddled seabreams, striped seabreams, black scorpionfish, and many more, especially when diving at night.
The bottom of the Adriatic has other surprises in store for you. Cargo ships, bombers and tug boats resting on the sea floor are just a few examples of the kinds of wrecks that you can visit.
Another site with an odd history that you can visit is the Republic of Rose Island. This 400-sq.m. artificial platform built in 1968 off the coast of Rimini was sunk by the Italian Navy shortly after the micronation declared itself an independent sovereign nation.
A visit to the MAS - National Museum of Underwater Activities will open your eyes to various aspects of the underwater world, like the role of the coast guard and underwater jobs, through a range of objects, tools, prints, dioramas and explanatory panels.
