Dive Sites
Brioni
dive site type: wreck
difficulty: difficult
depth range: 0-65 m (wreck 38-65 m)
distance from the diving center: 7 nm
short characteristic: a well-preserved, densely covered by yellow sponges, cargo-passengers wreck lying close to the islet of Ravnik and by many acclaimed as the most beautiful wreck of Vis
The history of the Balkans has been turbulent since ancient times. From the 14th century to the early 20th century, most of the Balkan Peninsula was under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. In the second half of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire lost almost all of its territories in the Balkans, but Albania did not gain independence until 1912, following the First Balkan War. Although the countries along the Adriatic coast differed politically, their shared history, ethnic similarities, and close proximity fostered strong economic ties. In the early 20th century, trade between Croatia and Albania was thriving, and numerous cargo and passenger ships crossed the Adriatic Sea.
One of these ships was Brioni, built in 1909 at the shipyard in Monfalcone in northern Italy for the largest Austro-Hungarian shipping company, Österreichischer Lloyd. During World War I, the steamship—along with the rest of the company’s fleet—came under Italian control and served as a cargo vessel for the Italian navy. After the war and the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the company remained Italian and continued operating under the name Lloyd Triestino (renamed Italia Marittima in 2006 and now part of the Taiwanese Evergreen Group). For six years after World War I, Brioni sailed under Lloyd Triestino before being sold in 1925 to the Apulian shipping company Società di Navigazione a Vapore Puglia, where it continued to operate cargo and passenger routes across the Adriatic.
In February 1930, the ship, carrying a cargo of tobacco and wine, departed from Split on what would be its final voyage. On February 2, in very poor visibility, Brioni struck the southeastern cape of the islet of Ravnik, located about 0.5 nautical miles from Rukavac, a village on the island of Vis. The ship sank rapidly and came to rest on a sandy seabed approximately 50 meters from the shore. Brioni lies on its port side, with the stern facing the islet, only about 10 meters away. The shallowest part of the wreck is at a depth of 38 meters, while the deepest point reaches 65 meters. The vessel is over 68 meters long and 9 meters wide, meaning that during a no-decompression recreational dive, divers can explore no more than one third of the wreck.
Dives at this site usually begin near the cape, almost directly above the wreck, and end in a sheltered bay where dive boats can safely anchor. The bay’s seabed, covered with boulders of various sizes, is home to small scorpionfish, octopuses, and several species of sea stars. Beneath the rocks, divers can spot animals more commonly seen during night dives, such as brittle stars. From the wreck toward the wall, divers swim along a vertical reef face riddled with numerous holes and crevices.
Ultimately, however, it is the wreck itself that remains the main attraction of this dive site. Well preserved and resting on the seabed for nearly 90 years, it is heavily encrusted with yellow sponges that shimmer in a range of colors when illuminated by a torch. Cranes once used for lifeboats, the masts, and the propeller are among the most frequently photographed features. Whether divers conduct full decompression dives to explore the entire wreck or only briefly visit it before ascending along the nearby wall, a dive on Brioni ranks among the most beautiful wreck dives around Vis.
