WWII submarine wreck lying in the Ionian Sea, cleared of fishing nets

A team of professional divers removed large swathes of lost fishing nets that were covering a British submarine that went down between the Ionian islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia in World War II.

The nets that had gathered over time, were a death trap for marine life.

The wreck of the 'HMS Perseus' was reached by six specially trained volunteer divers, who have long been allured by the mystery and historical value of the wreck.

The 2,000 ton HMS Perseus lies at a depth of 52 meters and is a fascinating relic of World War II that remains almost intact.

Of the 61 people on board when the Parthian-class submarine hit an Italian mine in 1941, only one survived, a British Navy stoker. John Capes managed to escape through the hatch and swim to the shores of Kefalonia, where he spent 18 months in hiding, before being smuggled to Turkey in a small fishing boat.

The five-day operation included other wrecks in the area and led to the recovery of 500 kilograms of lost and abandoned fishing gear in total.

It is estimated that millions of marine animals die each year by getting trapped in lost fishing gear.

*Images courtesy of ghostdiving.org