Activities

Near the beach of Čanj there is an Italian military plane wreck, hit during World War II. Its both wings and two engines are well preserved, while the tail was destroyed in the explosion. It is located at 54 metres depth, with excellent visibility.

Located near Čanj, in the sand at 54 metres depth, it is still a home to dozens of lobsters and red porgy. So far, this wreck has been visited by a small number of divers, gathered on a specialized diving boat “Down Under”. Recent discovery found out that it was a German twin-engine medium bomber “Junkers Ju 88” from World War II, which was serviced by a four-member crew.

Both unmarked wings which are 5-6 metres long, one of them yellow, as well as two engines are clearly visible. The propellers are not visible, except for their small part. The fact that the plane remained intact and did not disintegrate has led to conclusion that the pilot managed to land the plane on the sea surface before it sunk. Located at great depth, the plane is available only to very experienced, technically equipped divers – recreational divers and divers under “three stars” should not even think about touring the plane, as it can be dangerous.

Bar’s underwater hides several other attractive hydro-archaeological sites at great depths.

These are amphorae sites from the 3rd century B.C. and 2nd century B.C, as well as a sunken sailing ship from the 18th century with two bow cannons, located in front of Bigovica. Most recent sites deep under water include the American B-25 bomber, as well as one German “Messerschmitt” ME109 and one British “Spitfire”, shot down in World War II near Bar.

Other interesting sites in the vicinity of the Bar underwater are the reef of the Royal Bay, which is great for beginners, and Mikovića Cave, 150 metres long, which ends partly above the water surface and is decorated with red stalactites. It is located on the south of the Volujica peninsula, near the bay of Bigovica. Those lucky ones who had the opportunity to visit it consider it the best cave for tourist diving in Montenegro. The entrance to the cave on the south side is at 7 to 8 metres depth. Immediately after the entrance to the cave, it forks in two directions. On the right, the cave stretches through a series of labyrinths which are very poorly visible and quite narrow. The left side of the cave is more spacious and more suitable for diving. The entire length of the left side of the cave is marked by a steel cable which serves as a good signpost towards the end of the cave. At the very end there is a siphon into which fresh and cold water flows, forming a lake. It was named after the legendary Miki Munja, Miodrag Mitković, a civil engineer and diver.

Hydro-archaeological site of Bigovica, which originates from the ancient period, is located near the port of Bar. Due to its location which protects it from the wind, this natural bay was used as a winter port from the 3rd century B.C. to the 16th century A.D. Several amphorae sites, the remains of an ancient shipwreck from the 4th century, as well as numerous remains of other archaeological material dating back to the 16th century have been discovered here. In front of the ancient site of Bigovica there is a large sailing ship with cannons that has an unusual story. It remained intact because it was at a fairly great depth.

The famous King Nikola Petrović’s yacht “Rumija” was sunk in the Bar’s waters, 80 metres from the main breakwater, at 18 metres depth. It was the pride and the most beautiful ship of the Montenegrin flotilla, with two masts, 47.78 metres long and 6.10 metres wide. It was bought in England by Sultan Abdul Hamid, who donated it to King Nikola. Initially, it was used to transport the royal family from Kotor to the river Bojana, and to transport war material and the army during the Balkan War. In World War I, it was used to supply the Montenegrin army, transporting food, ammunition and war material from Bar to Medova in Albania. Austro-Hungarian warships torpedoed the yacht and it sank at the entrance to the Bay of Bar. This yacht is one of the few underwater facilities that have been placed under state protection, although the ship was “cleared” of all its valuable load by underwater treasure hunters. A conservation project has recently been developed, containing measures that will contribute to the preservation of this national heritage.

The modern French warship from the beginning of the 20th century, the destroyer “Dague”, is considered one of the most popular among divers. It is located near the Port of Bar. The ship was built in 1908 in France. Before the accident in 1915, it was anchored not far from the Port of Bar. “Dague” was hit by a strong bora, which dragged it away from the shore together with the anchor. It then came across an Austro-Hungarian underwater mine and sank after a big explosion when 39 sailors died. The ship could have reached a speed of 30 knots, operated on steam propulsion and had weapons including two 37 millimetres cannons and 4 torpedoes. The site is located at 18 metres depth, with good visibility.

On 31 December 1940, south of the town of Bar, below the bay of Bigovica, near the cliffs of Šogavica, the Italian cargo ship “Quinto” collided with the Greek submarine “Katsonis” and sank, suffering serious damage. The ship was completely destroyed, and the details of its interior, as well as part of the cargo it was carrying can be seen at the bottom. Barrels containing oil are scattered around the ship. The location is at 32 metres depth, while visibility for divers varies.

The Bar Riviera hides one of the most intriguing secrets of the Adriatic Sea. This ship was accidentally spotted in 1993 by underwater cinematographers. It is located on the seafloor in a horizontal position, with two cannons on its left wing, which seemed to be ready to fire before the ship was sunk. The site research has only led to new mysteries. The materials used in the construction of the ship date to the 19th century, and its weapons originate from the 18th century. Perhaps in the future, archaeologists will analyse this unexplored wreck in more detail and be able to give answers to all the questions. The ship lies at about 30 metres depth.

After the sensational discovery of the remains of a submerged ancient temple from the 2nd-4th century in the shallows of Maljevik bay in Sutomore in September 2009, Public Company Cultural Centre Bar started cooperating with the English University of Southampton, which is famous for underwater archaeological research. Enormous pieces of pillars with about 90 centimetres in diameter were discovered, lying together with other architectural elements, weighing several tons, at a depth of about two meters. The remains are also visible from the sea surface, when the water is clear and free of waves. After the valorisation of this discovery, the location became one of the most important underwater attractions for tourists-divers. Due to the importance of the underwater-archaeological discovery of the sunken and forgotten temple, Maljevik is recognized and included among the most relevant underwater-archaeological sites in the world.

An international diving team of archaeologists has begun researching the submerged ancient city, which is believed to date to the 3rd-4th centuries. The goal is to research the architectural elements that belonged to the ancient temple and carry out a thorough field survey of the Maljevik bay.