The Aida Wreck
Four miles from the shore, the Aïda wreck — her true name the Alga — is one of Djerba's most iconic dives, steeped in history and mystery. This Italian military cargo vessel, built in the United States in 1917, departed Palermo on 7 October 1942 bound for Libya, carrying war supplies destined for Italian troops. Two days later, on 9 October 1942, she was torpedoed off the coast of Djerba by the British submarine HMS Unbending. She now lies at 18 metres depth.
Some sixty metres from the stern, three small military tanks rest on the sandy seabed — thrown overboard in the desperate final moments of the sinking in an attempt to lighten the ship. They sit there still, like toys abandoned by History. Groupers, gas masks, aircraft engines... every dive on the Aïda is a journey back in time.
