Isla Mujeres · Mexico · Wreck
Ultrafreeze
The oldest wreck here, split in two beside the drop-off
Area photo: Andy Blackledge from Scottsdale, AZ, USA · CC BY 2.0
Also known as El Frio, the Ultrafreeze is the oldest of the wrecks off Isla Mujeres and the furthest east on the Caribbean side, sunk in 1979 beside the deep ocean drop-off and split in two by Hurricane Andrew. Divers here have logged giant sea turtles, grouper, mantas and barracuda, and the site is popular with researchers and underwater photographers.
Also known as El Frio.
Where it is and how deep
21.1799° N, 86.6650° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Ultrafreeze lies 11 km southeast of the island, further east than any of the other Isla Mujeres wrecks, out where the Caribbean side runs up against the deep ocean drop-off, so the dive feels offshore rather than coastal. She was sunk in 29 metres of water and the structure is dived at around 26 metres, with a staircase, open cargo holds and cracks to enter and exit, which is why she is used for early wreck penetration.
Hurricane Andrew broke her starboard hull in 1992 and left the wreck folded into two pieces at a right angle, so the structure reads as two runs rather than one. The drop-off is the other reason to come: divers have logged giant sea turtles, grouper, mantas, barracuda and other very large fish here, and that is what pulls researchers and underwater photographers out to it. Watch the open water off the hull as much as the hull itself.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Ultrafreeze
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Length
- 61 m (200 ft)
- Sunk
- 1979
- Cause
- Caught fire at the dock on Isla Mujeres, then towed out and sunk as an artificial reef
- Lies
- Split in two at a right angle since Hurricane Andrew broke her starboard hull in 1992, in 29 m of water
The Ultrafreeze, a 61-metre vessel (200 feet), caught fire on the dock at Isla Mujeres and was towed to a position 11 km southeast of the island, where she was sunk in 29 metres of water in 1979 to create an artificial reef. In 1992 Hurricane Andrew broke her starboard side hull and split the structure in two at a ninety-degree, L-shaped angle, which is how she lies today: the oldest of the Isla Mujeres wrecks and the furthest east on the Caribbean side.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Groupers
- Manta rays
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Prime | Prime | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows Isla Mujeres: Whale sharks aggregate Jun–Sep, peaking in July and August; sailfish work baitballs Jan–Mar. Both are snorkel-only. Reef diving runs all year.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Ultrafreeze wreck?+
She was sunk in 29 metres of water and is dived at around 26 metres, with Advanced Open Water listed as the required experience level.
Sources
- Wreck Diving Near Isla Mujeres — Mexico Divers
- Ultrafrezze Shipwreck — Mexico Divers
More dive sites in Isla Mujeres
Wreck
A 1944 US Navy minesweeper, split in two at 26 metres
Reef
A light drift over a reef shaped like a figure eight
Cave & cavern
Where the sleeping sharks of Isla Mujeres were found
Reef
The most-visited reef in Cancún, and the reason MUSA exists
The Silent Evolution, more than 400 concrete figures on the seabed
Similar dives elsewhere
A 100 m cable layer with a 40 m cable corridor through her hull
Three sunk ships and a retired underwater habitat in one bay
A 52 m Taiwanese trawler, top at 15 m and seabed at 27 m
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Three swim-throughs, and sometimes 15 to 20 groupers inside