Gilda (WWI steamer)
The Gilda was a 63 m bulk-cargo steamer, built in 1881 as the Italia and later run by the Trieste company Austro Americana. In June 1915, sailing from Trieste towards the Kvarner with magnesite, she hit a naval mine about 3.5 nautical miles north-west of Cape Savudrija; the blast tore off the bow and she sank in about three minutes, with all 22 crew saved. Today the wreck lies at roughly 21–28 m in two parts about 50 m apart and is heavily broken after more than a century. Conger eels, crustaceans and schools of fish shelter in it.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Coast
- Area: Piran, Fiesa & Portorož
- Depth: 21–28 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: moderate
- Type: wreck
- Coordinates: 45.534, 13.432 (approximate)
- Highlights: cargo steamer built 1881 (Vulcan, Stettin), sunk by a mine in June 1915, wreck in two parts about 50 m apart (bow torn off), conger eel, crustaceans, schools of fish
- Unverified: Unverified: no published coordinates – the point is computed from the dive centre's '3.5 nautical miles north-west of Cape Savudrija' and is only approximate. The wreck lies near the Slovenia–Croatia sea border, so it may be in Croatian-administered waters, where Croatian diving and cultural-heritage rules would apply.
- Tips: Boat dive offered by the Fiesa dive centre (Piran Diving); suited to advanced divers because open-sea currents and visibility can make it demanding. Confirm the position, the current rules and which country's waters apply with the centre before planning.