U1277
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Location
Matosinhos
Dive Type
Recreational
Dive Site
Sea
What you will see
Restrictions, Sandy bottom, Sea Life, Wreck
Average Depth:
30mts
Maximum Depth:
31mts
Water Temperature:
12ºC-15ºC
U Boat - 1277 is a WWII shipwreck. She was a German submarine Type VIIC/41 from Kriegsmarine. She was constructed on the shipyard of Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack and launched on 3rd May 1944, but only in August was commissioned when she was placed in 8 flotilla in Danzig as Instruction submarine. In February she was transferred to the 11 flotilla in Bergen and set sail in April.
On her active duty, she only carried out one mission and no ships were sunk or damaged on service.
On 3rd June 1945, she was scuttled by her crew to avoid the capture of the submarine by the Allies. The crew who disembarked from the boat in rubber dinghies landed on the beach at Angeiras, Oporto, and the ones, who stayed aboard to manoeuvre the U-1277 were collected later by the lifeguard Carvalho Araújo and sailed to Leixões.
The Portuguese authorities handed over the crew to a British warship in Lisbon.
The wreck of U boat -1277 is located in a North-West direction from Oporto, 2 miles offshore, laying at a depth of 31mts.
This dive site is recommended for experienced divers, "advanced level" is required. There are some ghost nets that can endanger the divers.
You can still see in the tower the pressure hull, consisting of welded metal plates approximately 22mm thick, the combat periscope with the shining stainless steel and the hatch without cover.
The spot is full of life because the submarine lyes like a reef attracting sea life and flora. The hull of the ship is covered with small white anemones (Sargatia elegans), pouts in the thousands, the congres that are the largest that can be found in these waters, the huge and curious octopuses, the fantastic lobsters and the wonderful pink anemone community. These are some of the natural attractions of this fantastic dive spot. Sometimes we have unexpected encounters with uncommon species such as rooster and sunfish.
Despite its state somehow deteriorated, the U-1277 submarine is still one of the main points of interest in sport diving in Portugal, the best in the north of the country, being considered by some divers as the most iconic dive in Portuguese waters.
--Spot description by Luis Mota
--Photos by Claudiao Dias, Eurico Roseiro and Miguel Miranda
On her active duty, she only carried out one mission and no ships were sunk or damaged on service.
On 3rd June 1945, she was scuttled by her crew to avoid the capture of the submarine by the Allies. The crew who disembarked from the boat in rubber dinghies landed on the beach at Angeiras, Oporto, and the ones, who stayed aboard to manoeuvre the U-1277 were collected later by the lifeguard Carvalho Araújo and sailed to Leixões.
The Portuguese authorities handed over the crew to a British warship in Lisbon.
The wreck of U boat -1277 is located in a North-West direction from Oporto, 2 miles offshore, laying at a depth of 31mts.
This dive site is recommended for experienced divers, "advanced level" is required. There are some ghost nets that can endanger the divers.
You can still see in the tower the pressure hull, consisting of welded metal plates approximately 22mm thick, the combat periscope with the shining stainless steel and the hatch without cover.
The spot is full of life because the submarine lyes like a reef attracting sea life and flora. The hull of the ship is covered with small white anemones (Sargatia elegans), pouts in the thousands, the congres that are the largest that can be found in these waters, the huge and curious octopuses, the fantastic lobsters and the wonderful pink anemone community. These are some of the natural attractions of this fantastic dive spot. Sometimes we have unexpected encounters with uncommon species such as rooster and sunfish.
Despite its state somehow deteriorated, the U-1277 submarine is still one of the main points of interest in sport diving in Portugal, the best in the north of the country, being considered by some divers as the most iconic dive in Portuguese waters.
--Spot description by Luis Mota
--Photos by Claudiao Dias, Eurico Roseiro and Miguel Miranda