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Dark volcanic rocks and surf off a rocky point, with kelp patches on the open Pacific — Ensenada & Punta Banda

Ensenada & Punta Banda · Mexico · Artificial reef

Todos Santos Wreck

Upright wooden tugboat with its propeller, chimney and engine still in place

Area photo: Kevin.Daniels · CC BY 3.0

A sunken tugboat near Isla Todos Santos, standing upright on sand at 34 m (110 ft) with its top at about 27 m (90 ft). The hull is a large ship built mostly of wood, and its propeller, a large chimney and the engine can still be found. The water is colder than on a typical San Diego dive, but the visibility is better.

Also known as Isla Todos Santos Wreck.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Todos Santos Wreck: typical dive 27–34 m (90–112 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit27 m34 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

31.7948° N, 116.7851° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The trip starts at the boat launch ramp at Punta Bandera, where divers board a small panga, a local boat that doubles as a fishing charter and whale-watching tour. The wreck lies near Pacific Aquaculture, a fish farm raising striped bass in the open ocean. The top of the wreck sits at about 27 m (90 ft), the shallowest point of the dive.

The tugboat stands upright in the sand at 34 m (110 ft). It is a large ship made mostly of wood, and the dive is a search along the hull for the parts that survive: the propeller, a large chimney and the engine. At this depth bottom time is short, so the route around the wreck has to be planned before the descent. The water here is colder than on a typical San Diego dive, but the visibility is better.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Todos Santos Wreck
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeFairFair

Season follows Ensenada & Punta Banda: July to October brings the warmest water and the best visibility; November to March is cold and rough, and spring is cooler with active sea lions.

Know before you go

  • The sand lies at 34 m (110 ft), so no-decompression time is short; plan bottom time and gas before descending and watch the computer throughout.
  • Winter water near 11 °C calls for a thick wetsuit or drysuit from November to March.

Questions divers ask

How deep is the Todos Santos Wreck?+

The tugboat stands upright on sand at 34 m (110 ft), and the top of the wreck is at about 27 m (90 ft), so it is a deep dive for advanced divers.

How do divers get to the Todos Santos Wreck?+

By small panga from the boat launch ramp at Punta Bandera. The pangas used for the dive also run fishing charters and whale-watching tours.

Sources

  1. Top 4 dive sites in Northern Baja California — San Diego Dive Sites

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