I would like to go diving on wrecks. Do I have to report this?
30.08.2017
If you go diving at sea, you are obliged to report this to the Maritime Rescue and Coördination Centre (MRCC) Ostend. The correct procedure can be found in Notices to Mariners nr 1.
If you go diving on wrecks, you should take into account that in Belgian waters 8 ship wrecks are recognized as cultural heritage.
They are:
- HMS Wakeful
- West-Hinder
- Wooden shipwreck Ostend
- Wrecksite Buiten Ratel Sandbank
- t Vliegend Hart
- U-11
- SS Kilmore
- HMS Briljant
If you decide to go diving on one of these wrecks, you are not only required to report this to MRCC Ostend, but also to the Federal Public Service (FPS) Mobility and Transport. This should be done at least four hours beforehand. You can find an online form on the website of FPS Mobility and Transport.