Scuba Diving the Saint-Didier Shipwreck

The Saint Didier is the largest wreck dive in Turkey, a Vichy French supply ship sunk by the British in 1941 that still holds rifles, bombs, and cars in its hull.

I dove it with Kaleiçi Divers in May 2026. Visibility was 15 to 20 feet, which is a good day for this site.

History of the Saint Didier

After France fell to Germany in 1940, France split into two factions: the Free French, who continued fighting with the Allies, and the Vichy French, who sided with Germany. The Saint Didier was a Vichy French war and supply ship.

In 1941, the Saint Didier left Greece carrying troops, arms, munitions, and vehicles.

A British air squadron hit it with torpedo missiles, causing severe engine damage.

The crew sheltered in Antalya Harbour and attempted to disguise the ship as a neutral Turkish vessel, changing the name and flying a hospital flag. An hour and a half later the British identified it and attacked again. Four torpedo missiles struck the ship and 14 crew members were killed.

Two salvage operations followed in 1946 and 1974, removing weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and the remains of the deceased. The wreck still contains rifles, bombs, and cars inside the hull.

How to Find It

The Saint Didier sits 500 meters off the Antalya yacht harbor.

I went with with Kaleiçi Divers in Antalya.

Entering the Water

The Wreck

The Saint Didier is 96 meters (314 feet) long and sits at a slant.

One dive is not enough to see this ship — I only covered the front half before we had to surface due to my dive buddy's air consumption.

Cannon cartridges from the original cargo are still visible on the wreck.

There is a large gap torn into the side of the hull, likely where the British torpedoes hit.

The cars, bombs, and rifles are further into the ship. I did not reach them on this dive.

What Marine Life I Saw

The Mediterranean here is heavily overfished. Two invasive species from the Red Sea — lionfish and a species of pufferfish — have compounded the problem by eating eggs and juvenile reef fish.

Both are killed on-site in Turkey when encountered, but each presents its own removal challenges.

Logistics

Kaleiçi Divers runs small zodiac trips to the Saint Didier.

After the dive they offer coffee, tea, or cigarettes. Customer service is excellent.

Dive Conditions

Visibility on this dive was 15 to 20 feet — the dive guide rated it a 9 out of 10 for this site. Surface conditions were choppy with a light current. I wore a 3mm wetsuit, which was comfortable for most of the dive.

There was a noticeable thermocline on the descent towards the lowest point, with 68°F being the lowest temperature my dive computer recorded.