EN LAS ENTRAÑAS DE LA BESTIA

Zenobia was the name of the princess of the kingdom of Palmyra in modern-day Syria. In her last days of glory, Queen Zenobia stood up to the great empires surrounding her, Rome and Persia, and managed to extend her dominions from Asia Minor to Egypt. However, this chronicle is about another Zenobia: The modern Swedish ship from the Nordo shipping company. Built to cover the route between Greece and Syria (perhaps hence its name). The Zenobia was plenty with all the gadgets of the time, which cost a fortune.

Its history is controversial because before visiting it, I only knew the official version, which speaks of a construction failure in the ship's stability, which caused a displacement of the cargo and their onward disaster. With the ship listing at 40º and inexplicably, with the pilot door open, the flooding was due to the water leak that entered through it. After five agonizing days, the Zenobia succumbed and sank. It rests on a sand bed one mile from the port of Larnaca at a depth of about 42m, on the port side and in a route position. At that time, it was transporting a load estimated at 200,000,000 pounds, among which there were more than 100 trucks, 17 trailers, and smaller vehicles. Also traveling on board were 120 truck drivers or companions, 12 caterers of Yugoslav origin (We are talking about the 80s), and 18 crew members. Fortunately, there were no victims to regret after the shipwreck since the crew abandoned the ship in time.

However, being in situ, I heard the other version, which was much more interesting and surrounded by a mysterious aura, even cinematic, as I like things. 

Thus, when I heard that immediately after the sinking, the Cypriot authorities sealed off access to the ship for several weeks while mysterious teams of divers descended on the Zenobia, day and night, I couldn't help but believe it. The unofficial version speaks of a deliberate sinking by Mossad and the CIA. Reports indicated that the ship was carrying weapons for the OLP (Organization Liberation Palestine). The Israeli divers searched for weeks, and when they found what they were looking for, or not, we will never know, they left.

The Zenobia was nicknamed the Titanic of the Mediterranean. 

With 180 m in length, become one of the best wrecks for recreational diving in the Mediterranean and one of the best in the world.

The dive is only suitable by boat, and the sailing time from the Larnaca marina is about 10 minutes. Anchoring in a buoy perfectly anchored in the wreck takes you directly to the first 18m. From the 5m where we make the safety stop, you can see the wreck, giving you an idea of ​​the visibility. As you descend, you understand what you are getting into. The dimensions of the Titan are overwhelming, and the marine life is everywhere, which delights photosubs.

The routes are varied, and penetration into some routes is not for claustrophobics. The darkness is omnipresent, and the old mattresses hanging from the metal along with the toilets in the accommodation area, dating back to the 1980s, capture the moment when time stopped. The cargo area, still inside twisted trucks hooked to their trailers, gives you an idea of ​​the dimension of the power of the sea. No work of man is a rival to nature.

The silence is sepulchral wherever you pass, only broken by inhalations and the increase in heartbeats as you enter the bowels of the beast. The Zenobia leaves no one indifferent.

Text by Caco Pradas

Photo by Audrey Cudel and I. Stokanova