SS Slavonia Wreck
39.3800°N 31.1700°W · wreck
SS Slavonia Wreck
A 155-metre Cunard liner that ran aground off Flores in 1909 — widely cited as the first ship to transmit an SOS distress signal.
Overview
The RMS Slavonia (originally SS Yamuna) was built in 1902 by Sir J. Laing & Sons at Sunderland. Originally laid down as the Yamuna for the British India Steam Navigation Company, she was purchased by Cunard Line before completion and renamed. At 10,606 GRT and 155 metres (510 ft) in length, she carried up to 71 first-class, 74 second-class, and 1,954 steerage passengers.
On 10 June 1909, she ran aground in foggy conditions at Ponta dos Fenais (Baixa Rasa), Flores, while en route from New York to the Mediterranean. All passengers and crew were rescued without loss of life by the ships Prinzess Irene and Batavia; sources give the total aboard as approximately 410–635 (the 410 figure appears in some sources as passengers only, while Wikipedia records 110 cabin passengers, 300 steerage passengers, and 225 crew). She was declared a total loss on 15 June. Some cargo was recovered: 400 bags of coffee, 1,000 copper ingots, and 200 casks of oil.
The SOS claim: multiple sources state the Slavonia sent the first maritime SOS signal in history. Wikipedia notes this claim requires a stronger source; the signal’s use predated widespread adoption of SOS (CQD remained the Marconi standard in 1909). The claim is historically significant and widely cited but not yet conclusively verified by a primary source.
The wreck lies at approximately 18 metres depth, less than 50 metres from the coast at Lajedo, Flores. It was designated an Underwater Archaeological Park in 2015. The wreck is substantially broken up after more than a century of wave action.
Site Information
- Location: Lajedo, Flores Island, Azores
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Wreck dive
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Maximum Depth: 18 meters
- Typical Visibility: 10–20 meters
- Current: Variable
- Best Time: June to September
Marine Life
No site-specific marine life data available. The scattered wreck structure provides artificial reef habitat typical of Azorean rocky coastline.
Tips and Recommendations
- Historically notable: widely cited as the first ship to send an SOS signal (1909) — though this claim remains subject to historical debate
- 155-metre Cunard liner, 10,606 GRT — significant maritime heritage site
- Underwater Archaeological Park since 2015 — protected status
- Flores is remote; most visitors arrive by inter-island ferry or small plane
- The wreck is heavily broken up after 115+ years; remains scattered at 18 m
Sources: Wikipedia – RMS Slavonia, GG Archives – SS Slavonia, dive.visitazores.com – Flores. Last updated 2026-07-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
5517 verified species observations (166 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1971 and 2018, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Calonectris borealis
- Larus michahellis
- Sterna
- Katsuwonus pelamis
- Trachurus picturatus
- Delphinus delphis
- Sardina pilchardus
- Thunnus obesus
- Tursiops truncatus
- Beryx decadactylus
- Grampus griseus
- Puffinus gravis
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
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