Diving in the Baltic Sea
Diving in the Baltic Sea is unique and offers something different from other diving destinations. The water is relatively cold, and the salinity is low due to the influx of freshwater from various rivers in the north Baltic Sea. Due to the low salinity, the shipworm, Teredo Navalis, does not survive there, allowing wooden hulls to last for centuries.
No other place in the world is comparable to the Baltic Sea when it comes to shipwrecks. It might be cool and dark in the depths, but the Baltic Sea hosts some of the world’s best wreck diving. In Sweden alone, there are around 17,000 wrecks along the coast, and it is thought there may be up to 100,000 shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea in total.
Diving in the Baltic Sea is an unforgettable experience for wreck divers. The seabed is littered with everything from Viking ships and 15th-century warships to WWI and WWII wrecks, submarines, and modern vessels.
Because of the low salinity and lack of shipworm, the Baltic Sea’s wrecks are largely intact and have little marine growth compared to tropical dive destinations. Many of the region’s wrecks are at diveable depths and they offer a fascinating insight into a rich maritime history.