SS Stavronikita Wreck

The SS Stavronikita lies off the west coast of Barbados, near Bridgetown, in the Caribbean Sea. This Greek freighter was deliberately sunk in 1978 to create an artificial reef and dive attraction after a fire damaged the vessel. It sits upright on a sandy bottom, with the wreck's deepest point reaching 42.7 metres and its mast rising to roughly 18 metres, so the shallower sections are far more approachable than the lower hull. The site is rated technical, reflecting the depth of that lower structure, and is best treated as a dive for experienced, well-prepared divers rather than a casual reef swim. Over the decades the hull has developed a heavy coating of coral and sponge growth and draws a range of reef fish. Depth and buoyancy control around the superstructure remain the main considerations for anyone visiting.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Caribbean Bluehead WrasseThalassoma bifasciatumReported here · unconfirmed
• Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed
• Horse-eye JackCaranx latusReported here · unconfirmed
• Rock BeautyHolacanthus tricolorReported here · unconfirmed
• Banded ButterflyfishChaetodon striatusReported here · unconfirmed
• French GruntHaemulon flavolineatumReported here · unconfirmed
• Atlantic Ghost CrabOcypode quadrataReported here · unconfirmed
• Western Atlantic TrumpetfishAulostomus maculatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Sally Lightfoot CrabGrapsus grapsusReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackbar SoldierfishMyripristis jacobusReported here · unconfirmed