Bahía Solano · Colombia · Wreck
Sebastián de Belalcázar
A 62.5 m fleet tug sunk as an artificial reef in 2004
Area photo: BlancaNDiaz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sebastián de Belalcázar is a 62.5 m (205 ft) former US Navy fleet tug, laid down in 1943 and sunk deliberately in 2004 as an artificial reef off Huina beach at Bahía Solano. The bow castle stands at 24 m and the bottom lies at 36 or 39 m. Huge groupers, snappers and schools of bonito and pompano live on it.
Also known as ARC Sebastián de Belalcázar, Sebastian de Belalcazar, USS Jicarilla.
Where it is and how deep
6.2862° N, 77.4580° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wreck lies off Huina beach. The bow castle stands at 24 m (80 ft), and the bottom is at 36 or 39 m (118 to 130 ft) depending on the tide, so the dive runs between 24 m and 40 m.
Huge groupers and snappers live on the wreck, and schools of bonito and pompano move around it. It is one of the favourite dives of Bahía Solano and among the easiest to reach.
The wreck
- Vessel
- ARC Sebastián de Belalcázar, ex-USS Jicarilla
- Type
- fleet tug
- Length
- 62.5 m (205 ft)
- Built
- 1943
- Sunk
- 2004
- Cause
- Retired and intentionally sunk as an artificial reef
- Lies
- Off Huina beach; bow castle at 24 m, bottom at 36 or 39 m depending on the tide
Built in the United States as the fleet tug USS Jicarilla, laid down in 1943 and launched in 1944, the ship served in the Pacific in World War II. Sold to Colombia in 1979 and renamed Sebastián de Belalcázar, it became known for sinking the arms smuggling ship Karina in 1981. In 2004, after decades of service, it was put out of service and intentionally sunk off Bahía Solano to create an artificial reef.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Bahía Solano: Jul–Oct is humpback season and the main reason to come; this is one of the wettest coasts on earth, so visibility is never reliable.
Dive videos
Sebastián De Belalcázar | Ship Wreck | Ankla Azul · Ankla Azul Diving Center & Travel on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is the Sebastián de Belalcázar a shore dive?+
No. The wreck lies off Huina beach, and a boat ride of about 25 minutes from the mainland reaches it.
Sources
- Guía de buceo de Bahía Solano — Agenda del Mar
- Sebastian de Belalcazar Shipwreck — Ankla Azul
- USS Jicarilla — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Bahía Solano
Seamount
Submerged mountain at the mouth of Ensenada de Utría
Sharks and giant mantas on a 9 to 36 m dive
Pinnacle
Sunken mountains dived along either flank at about 24 m
Reef
Giant snappers and jack schools at about 24 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A 35-ton seaplane crane on a warship lying on her side at 35 m
A scattered cargo wreck on a reef running from 2 m to 35 m
A 35 m hull, then an SUV and a helicopter on the way back
An upright Dutch-built freighter scuttled off Kubu