Batelao

Wreck

This is the wreck of one of two large barges on tow by the Marialva tugboat.


Marialva was a tugboat of 111 tons, built in 1937 and owned by SOFAMAR.


On December 7th 1959, with Oporto city in sight, the Marialva was sailing from Lisbon to Oporto with a cargo of cement. Approaching her destination, she faced a huge sea storm, which made the tug and the barges overturn and sink, killing all 17 crew members.


The second barge made of wood, ended up on a nearby beach. The wreck of the tug remains undiscovered.


The Batelao wreck is located 2 miles from shore, in front of the Douro river mouth, on a sandy seabed 27m deep.


Nowadays she lays in a state of decay, claimed by the seas of time, broken in two with both her stern and bow decks collapsed. Divers can easily distinguish some of her cargo. Cement which petrified when in contact with sea water and now looks like some sort of rock inside her cargo hull.


Besides her state of deterioration, this is an excellent dive. Full of marine life, like huge shoals of small fishes and the amazing garden of metridium senile anemones.


This one of the best night dives you can do in the area.


Due to her location there is a high possibility of strong currents in the area and it's quite normal to find fishing nets around this wreck.


Source: www.mergulhomania.com

(Reproduced with permission of the author)

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