Croatia

The Baron Gautsch was an Austro-Hungarian passenger ferry that struck a naval minefield in 1914 and sank with the loss of over 250 lives, making it Croatia's most tragic maritime disaster. The 85 m wreck lies in 28–42 m off Rovinj in the northern Adriatic, largely intact with portholes, anchors, and crockery still visible inside. She is home to enormous conger eels, lobsters, and one of the Adriatic's best grouper populations.

Jabuka (the Apple) is a remote volcanic island rising from the deep central Adriatic, and its underwater pinnacle drops from the surface to over 100 m in intensely blue water. Dense colonies of yellow and orange gorgonians cover the upper 40 m of the pinnacle and are home to sea horses, blennies, and spawning Atlantic bluefin tuna passing the island in spring. The site requires a liveaboard or long boat transfer from Split and demands solid open-water skills.

Duboka Luka (Deep Bay) on the island of Vis in central Dalmatia is one of Croatia's most celebrated advanced dives, with a large WWII German cargo vessel lying in 35–52 m. The wreck is intact, heavily colonised by gorgonian sea fans and soft corals, and inhabited by conger eels and large dusky grouper. Vis is only recently reopened to tourism and the marine reserve status of much of the surrounding coast means fish life is exceptionally dense.

Adriatic Depth Divers Croatia is based in Vis town on the island of Vis, diving the national park waters of the central Dalmatian coast where clear, blue Adriatic waters cover WWII wrecks, submerged Roman amphora fields, and pristine Posidonia seagrass meadows. The Adriatic's high salinity and remarkable clarity — often exceeding 40 metres visibility — gives every dive a luminous quality, with walls colonised by date mussels, red coral, and vast sponge communities. Their team is fluent in Croatian, English, German, and Italian, reflecting the international character of Vis as a favourite of sailing yachters.

Hvar Island Dive Club is a boutique CMAS and SSI school based in Hvar town marina, taking small groups to submerged cave systems and blue-water walls along the dramatic Pakleni Islands just offshore. Posidonia oceanica meadows around Hvar shelter endemic pipefish, sea horses, and the occasional sunfish, while deeper sites reveal magnificent gorgonian sea fans that thrive in the cold, nutrient-rich upwellings of the Adriatic. The club is popular with European liveaboard yachts anchoring off Hvar, offering dive packages that integrate seamlessly with sailing itineraries.