Epave du Pythéas

Pytheas is a Greek explorer, considered one of the greatest scientific explorers of his time (340-325 BC). Many ships bear or have borne his name, such as the one that has been lying for more than 120 years next to the entrance to the port of Port-Vendres. This wreck sometimes little considered with regard to the others nearby (shallower and less well preserved) is nevertheless a site to discover. The remains of the ship extend from the foot of the cliff towards the sea for about fifty meters, at depths ranging from 3 to 15 m. Deeper down is the stern, lying to port. Of the quarterdeck, only the beams that supported the floor and what must have been part of the rudder mechanism remain. Going up towards the coast, we skirt the propeller shaft lying at the bottom of the hull of which only the keel remains. About ten meters from the stern rests the high boiler of about 2,5 m. The path towards the rocks is marked by the ribs of the hull laid flat. Finally, at the bottom of the cliff, a tangle of beams marks the location of the point of impact. A few meters away, behind a natural arch, in a fault, the chains and anchors were laid.
Due to the shallow depth, the wreck is accessible to all levels of divers.
(Sea Fortunes and Wrecks in the Gulf of Lion Natural Park 1850-2018 by Laurent Urios, Hervé Levano, Patrice Strazzera)