Puerto Madryn & Península Valdés, the area around Naufragio Albatros

Puerto Madryn & Península Valdés · Argentina · Wreck

Naufragio Albatros

An intact, penetrable wreck purpose-sunk in 1994

Area photo: ElGuruCesar · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Albatros is a 27 m fishing boat deliberately sunk off Puerto Madryn in 1994 to create a dive site, a short 10-minute boat ride from town. It rests intact and upright between about 15 and 23 m in low current, well enough preserved that hull penetration is one of its main draws.

Also known as Albatros.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Naufragio Albatros: typical dive 15–23 m (50–75 ft), deepest point 30 m (100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 m23 m30 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

42.7744° S, 65.0022° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The boat takes about 10 minutes to reach the site from Puerto Madryn. The Albatros is a 27 m fishing boat that was deliberately sunk in 1994 to create a dive site, rather than an accidental wreck, and it now sits intact and upright in good condition between about 15 and 23 m of water.

Because the hull is so well preserved, penetrating the wreck is one of its main draws, and divers can work through the vessel's interior before circling the exterior, which is covered from bow to stern in large salmon and tube anemones. The dive finishes with an ascent back up the line to the boat.

The wreck

Vessel
Albatros
Type
Fishing boat (barco pesquero)
Length
27 m (89 ft)
Sunk
1994
Cause
Purpose-sunk for diving, not an accidental wreck
Lies
Intact and upright, in good condition, allows hull penetration

Marine life and season

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

Month-by-month season rating for Naufragio Albatros
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodPrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGood

Season follows Puerto Madryn & Península Valdés: Sea lion dives run best Sep–Mar when the colony is busiest; right whales are present Jun–Dec, and winter water drops to about 9°C.

Questions divers ask

How deep is the Albatros wreck dive?+

The wreck lies between about 15 and 23 m, and its intact, upright hull allows penetration for experienced divers.

Sources

  1. Buceo en Puerto Madryn — Lobo Larsen Buceo
  2. Naufragio Albatros, Puerto Madryn — Wannadive

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