Mama Vina Wreck, Playa del Carmen, Mayan Riviera, Mexico
The wreck of the Mama Viña sits upright in about 30m/96ft of water, ever defying the prevailing current with a turn in to the port side. This steel hulled trawler was intentionally sunk in 1996 after having suffered extensive damage while running aground during a hurricane. Located just south of Xcaret, the sunken vessel is often host to barracuda, jacks, and other schooling fish. The current here can be quite strong at times. While the Mama Viña makes an excellent introduction to wreck diving, recreational divers not trained in overhead environments should avoid entering the open foreward pump bay and central corridors. Although the wreck has only spent a few years on the sea floor, coral and stinging hydroids have quite effectively covered most all surfaces. Gloves and a long wetsuit are highly recommended. This is not a difficult dive, but given the depth, potential for current, overhead environment, and possibility of entanglement or separation, it should be considered an advanced site.
The day of the dive, there was no wind, the sea was extremely calm and no current at the surface. There was a small drift at the bottom. The vessel exploration was a lot of fun. I couldn’t get into the engine chamber at it was too tight getting in with my camera.
Equipment used: Ikelite Housing, Nikon D200, Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 @ f/9, 2 Strobes (Ikelite DS-50 and Nikonos SB-105) all in manual control.
Mama Vina Wreck, Playa del Carmen, Mayan Riviera, Mexico
The wreck of the Mama Viña sits upright in about 30m/96ft of water, ever defying the prevailing current with a turn in to the port side. This steel hulled trawler was intentionally sunk in 1996 after having suffered extensive damage while running aground during a hurricane. Located just south of Xcaret, the sunken vessel is often host to barracuda, jacks, and other schooling fish. The current here can be quite strong at times. While the Mama Viña makes an excellent introduction to wreck diving, recreational divers not trained in overhead environments should avoid entering the open foreward pump bay and central corridors. Although the wreck has only spent a few years on the sea floor, coral and stinging hydroids have quite effectively covered most all surfaces. Gloves and a long wetsuit are highly recommended. This is not a difficult dive, but given the depth, potential for current, overhead environment, and possibility of entanglement or separation, it should be considered an advanced site.
The day of the dive, there was no wind, the sea was extremely calm and no current at the surface. There was a small drift at the bottom. The vessel exploration was a lot of fun. I couldn’t get into the engine chamber at it was too tight getting in with my camera.
Equipment used: Ikelite Housing, Nikon D200, Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 @ f/9, 2 Strobes (Ikelite DS-50 and Nikonos SB-105) all in manual control.