Fishing Vessel Sunk off Coast of Sozopol to Become Artificial Reef

Stanimir Dimitrov, Metodi Yordanov

BTA Photo/Hristo Stefanov

Sozopol, on the Black Sea,

05.08.2025 11:44

(BTA)

The fishing vessel “Chavdar,” built in 1964, was sunk to the sea floor off the coast of Sozopol. The submersion of the ship took about an hour. It was filled with seawater using pumps, which helped properly position it on the seabed at a depth of 30 meters, divers told BTA on Tuesday.

The operation to sink the ship was initiated by writer Mihail Zaimov and his supporters.

The goal is for the ship to become an artificial reef. A cage from the Institute of Marine Biology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) was placed inside the vessel to support research on the black mussel. The ship will also be used by the diving center in Sozopol for training amateur divers.

President Rumen Radev observed the sinking of the vessel and was among the first to dive down after “Chavdar” reached the seabed. Last year, President Radev participated in a seabed cleanup operation near St. Anastasia Island.

More than 15 years ago, also near Sozopol, a ship called “Pioner” was sunk through the initiative of Zaimov, Vlado Yavashev, and Rosen Zhelyazkov. That marked the beginning of a long-term project to create artificial habitats for marine life and a site of interest for divers.

The “Chavdar” is identical to the ship sunk years ago near St. Ivan Island. At the end of last year, Zaimov and his supporters organized a charity campaign to raise funds for its purchase.

/RY/