The big Don

Fan assisted: a diver is dwarfed by the Don Pedro’s huge propeller. All photographs by Neil Hope Main event: the Don Pedro is Ibiza’s latest diving attraction One of the deserted companionways on the Don Pedro School time: large shoals of barracuda are seen frequently in the waters around the pinnacle of Llado Norte The ‘mini Don Pedro’, a leisure yacht sunk as a diver attraction

In the early hours of 11 July 2007, as the nightclubs of Ibiza wound down following a night of partying, the 5,630-tonne container ship Don Pedro left the island bound for Valencia. Although regular visitors to the Balearic islands, the crew inexplicably changed course and the ship struck a submerged reef just one mile south of the port.

With a 7m gash along her hull, the Don Pedro was taking on water and had a serious list to port. The 18-man crew and two passengers made for the lifeboats and abandoned ship as the vessel was dragged clear of the harbour approaches by a tugboat. Less than an hour after the incident, she slipped below the surface just 300m from where she struck the reef.

In the immediate aftermath of the Don Pedro’s sinking, it became apparent that the danger of a major pollution threat could soon be on the cards as evidence of an oil slick slowly spread out across the surface of the water. A 1,000m boom was put in place around the vessel, but as the island’s emergency response plan swung into action, the nearby beaches of Talamanca, ses Figueretes and Playa d’en Bossa began to bear the brunt of the contamination.

The authorities wasted little time (after all, the memory of the tonnes of thick black oil that washed up off the coast of Spain when the Prestige sank in 1992 were still alive in the popular memory), and within days a salvage team arrived, its main objective to stem the flow of pollutants from the stricken vessel.

Once the hull was sealed, the salvors set about the complex task of removing contaminants from the Don Pedro’s cargo of car batteries, oil filters and fuel. They drilled directly into the vessel’s hull to fix a valve from which the oil could be safely pumped to surface containers. After a total of 756 hours bottom time, the salvage team’s work was all done.

Up to this point, Ibiza didn’t really figure on the list of wreck-diving destinations. Suddenly, it was a serious player, boasting what is now believed to be the biggest diveable shipwreck in the Med. What’s more, it had the kudos of being an ‘authentic’ shipwreck, the victim of a real sinking.

Australian Nick Thompson, co-owner of the island’s Punta Dive Centre, was one of the first to dive the Don Pedro after clearance was given. ‘This wreck is just so impressive,’ he says. ‘I’ve dived it front to back and still can’t get over how huge it is.’

A 30-minute RIB ride from Punta Dive’s base in Cala Martina on the east of the island, the Don Pedro is located just a mile out from Ibiza’s main harbour. Although not marked on the surface, two mooring buoys at a depth of 5m are connected by heavy chain to the vessel, one to port the other to starboard.

The wreck lies on its port side with the bow facing seaward, and it’s around 26m to the highest point. Descending to the bow, it’s a longish swim to cover the length of the starboard side, where a dark-green algae obscures the Iscomar line logo that runs the entire length of the sides.

It is possible to see inside the holds, but with a cargo of trailers and trucks held in place by easily perishable ropes, all possible entry points have been closed off for diver safety.

The hot taps are still in place along the hull and already, shoals of small sea bream have begun to congregate above the wreck. The salvage operation’s divers kept a record of the different species they observed, with amberjack, damselfish, red mullet and octopus among the early colonists.

It should make for a fascinating study over the next few years to see how Mediterranean marine life gradually claims this wreck. The stern is a much more interesting proposition than the bow; the immense propeller looks very imposing framed against the azure sea.

The superstructure is just as impressive, and although entry to the bridge and cabins is prevented, there is still much to see. Along the companionways there are ladders, railings, still-unfurled fire hoses, thick heavy ropes and large bollards that now protrude horizontally instead of vertically from the deck.

Despite the edicts forbidding penetraton, the Don Pedro is an impressive wreck; its size alone requires multiple dives to build up a full picture of the fallen giant. Thompson says: ‘We’re optimistic that the wreck may eventually be opened up in the future, but in a controlled manner for divers to explore in safety.’

There were rumours that the wreck would be broken up, but the Ibiza government only had to look at what the Zenobia has done for Cyprus to see how the Don Pedro could become an asset for the tourism industry. For now, the plan is to let the wreck rest as it is, to the delight of local dive operators. It has put the island on the wreck diving map, and added a new meaning to the phrase ‘let’s get wrecked in Ibiza’.


The other ones: Ibiza’s signature dives

The Cathedral
Cueva Cala Llonga, or the Cathedral, is one of Ibiza’s signature dives. Near to the beach of Cala Llonga on the island’s east coast, the site is a large and spectacular natural cave that can only be accessed by boat. Starting as a wall dive and with a maximum depth of 15m, the wall leads to the cavernous entrance with large boulders on the sea bed.

Torches are ideal for exploring the cave’s dark recesses, or allow your eyes to adjust to the light and watch the other divers silhouetted against the lighter blue sea at the caves entrance.

At the very back of the Cathedral, it is possible to ascend into a large air pocket: remove both regulator and mask to see the stalactite formations on the cave’s ceiling.

The Fish Factory
La Platforma or the Fish Factory lies close to the neighbouring island of Formentera. A former fish farm destroyed during a storm, the remains look like an abandoned oil rig. With a maximum depth of 35m, the site has an amazing amount of marine life around its metal girders and platforms. Congers, moray eels and lobster inhabit the wreckage along the sea bed, with huge schools of barracuda swirling around the upper sections.

Llado Norte
A small island pinnacle rising 40m from the sea floor, Llado Norte is a scenic dive with plenty of life. The first plateau starts at 10m and a circular route around the pinnacle will lead you by small reefs and walls. The highlight of the dive is the schooling barracuda that frequent the seaward side of the pinnacle.

Llado Sur
A secondary pinnacle connected to Llado Norte, Llado Sur features a spectacular fissure running through the centre of the island from north to south. Covered in colourful corals and home to moray eels and octopus, it makes an ideal spot for photography as divers make their way through the narrow gap.

Isla Redona
Redona Island begins on a shallow plateau and leads on to a drop-off bottoming out at 25m. At its deepest point, the site has not one but two wrecks – an unnamed wooden fishing boat, well broken up but still of interest, and an intact former pleasure boat nicknamed the ‘mini Don Pedro’. With lots of fish life in the 5–6m range, ascending slowly to the shallows to decompress or make a safety stop is preferable to hanging onto a shot-line.


Need to know
Diving insurance is compulsory in Spain and can be purchased through your dive operator; alternatively, proof of your own policy is required. The diving season in Ibiza normally runs from April to October. Water temperature varies from 17°C in early season reaching highs of 28°C in October.

Neil Hope was a guest of Punta Dive (www.puntadive.com) and stayed at the Punta Arabi Hotel (www.punta-arabi-resort.de), a five-minute walk from the dive centre. A five-dive package with Punta Dive costs €157 (£145) if you have your own kit, or €243 (£225) if you’re hiring kit.