The former SUCHIATE BI-05 naval vessel was sunk on Friday, March 15. See this video and photos below. It took several hours to actually sink after the detonation. Due to its proximity to the Santos sunken ship, the navy were cautious with the amount of explosives used so as not to destroy the marine life and substantial ecosystem already developed on the first ship.
Suchiate, is ready to dive! It is in the same area as the previous wreck, in the bay in front of Punta Cautín on the west side of Punta Doble (see map below). The top level of the ship sits at about 12 feet water and the bottom rests at about 50 feet. There are four levels in all at different depths. The bow of the boat faces north and there is plenty of space inside to navigate through. An instructor from El Mar Diving Center suggested that the best way to get to the wreck from the surface is to “get tight on the marker buoy and drop down all the way to the mooring. Then follow the cable to the stern.”
A group of divers explored the wreck last Saturday and found some organism are moving in already. As we saw with the other wreck, it doesn’t take long for ocean critters to find new homes on these artificial reefs. Visibility last Saturday was about 20 feet with water temperatures still very cool, about 60 degrees F at 57 feet.
As the water warms, this will be a nice destination for a snorkel. And, if you are a diver, book a dive trip now to see the “before.” In just a few months, it will be a living reef with much to explore.
Also dive or snorkel the adjacent Santos boat. They’re the first 2 vehicles to be sunk to form part of a large reef system.
