The Magnificent Disaster: The Story of the SS Burdigala

Most divers head to Kea Island, Greece to explore her most famous shipwreck, the ocean liner HMHS Britannic, but one of the hidden gems of a visit to Kea is the SS Burdigala, a wreck that rests near Britannic in slightly shallower waters. In May of 2019, the Britannic expedition made two dives to Burdigala and the team was spellbound by the grandeur of this lesser known but strikingly beautiful ship. Burdigala sank on November 14, 1916, less than one week prior to the sinking of Britannic. The cause of her demise was a mine laid by the same U-boat as the one that laid the mine that sank Britannic. The shipwreck was discovered more recently and not identified until 2008, when a group of Greek divers visited her. A stunning sight, she sits upright on her keel at a depth of approximately 70 meters (231 feet).