The old Ferry M/F Ærøsund (South Fyn Archipelago, Denmark) is one of Denmark’s most popular and accessible artificial reefs. Unlike historical shipwrecks, this vessel was deliberately and safely scuttled in 2014 to create a thriving marine habitat and a world-class recreational dive site.

Depth: 6 to 19 meters (The bottom sits at 19m, while the top of the funnel reaches up to 6m). Access: Easiest launch point is the boat ramp at Rantzausminde Marina. The wreck is clearly marked with two yellow anchor buoys secured to its bow and stern.

The History: Denmark’s Last Private Train Ferry
Built in 1960 at the Husumer Schiffswerft in Germany and designed by Knud E. Hansen, the M/F Ærøsund was a modern marvel of its time. It was the first Danish ferry to feature onboard television (broadcasting both Danish and German channels) and allowed cars to drive straight through without reversing.

For nearly four decades (1960–1999), it operated between Svendborg and Ærøskøbing, becoming a cultural icon of the South Fyn region. On October 5, 2014, its final chapter was written when thousands of spectators gathered to watch its controlled scuttling.

Wreck Conditions & Marine Life
Before its sinking, the ferry underwent a massive 2.4 million DKK environmental decontamination process to strip all hazardous materials, making it completely eco-friendly and safe for diving education.

Artificial Reef: Since 2014, nature has entirely reclaimed the ship. It is heavily overgrown with underwater vegetation, sea anemones, and marine flora, attracting massive schools of fish.

Educational Feature: To preserve its cultural legacy, educational signs explaining the history and original use of each area were permanently installed across the decks underwater.

The dive

The wreck is shallow, but the wreck is quite large and the visibility was around 2-3m only. And I shared the dives pot with more than 20 divers. That made the 3D-Scan quite complicated. It’s not perfect, but as good as it was possible for one single dive.

Model

Sketchfab