Port Antonio · Jamaica · Wreck · Artificial reef
HMJS Paul Bogle
A retired Coast Guard cutter turning into reef in a fish sanctuary
Area photo: Layneartz19 · CC BY-SA 4.0
HMJS Paul Bogle is a former Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard cutter, laid to rest off Sanco Bay as Port Antonio's first wreck dive. It lies in the Portland Fishery Conservation Area, where the hull is turning into an artificial reef that draws schooling fish and growing marine life.
Also known as P8.
Where it is and how deep
18.1742° N, 76.4072° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The cutter rests at about 18 m (60 ft), and the standard dive is a tour of the exterior. Marine growth is spreading over the hull and schooling fish gather around it, making the outside of the ship the main subject for wreck photography.
Going inside the hull is a separate matter: penetration is open only to divers holding a Wreck Specialty certification, a course offered locally for divers who want to qualify.
The wreck
- Vessel
- HMJS Paul Bogle
- Type
- Coast Guard cutter
- Cause
- Deliberately sunk as a fish habitat, artificial reef and dive site after 35 years of service
- Lies
- Off Sanco Bay in the Portland Fishery Conservation Area, at about 18 m
HMJS Paul Bogle entered service with the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard in the 1980s and was named after the Jamaican National Hero Paul Bogle. After 35 years of service it was retired in a short ceremony at Sanco Bay, by Geejam beach, and sent down as a fish habitat, artificial reef and dive site in the Portland Fishery Conservation Area.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Port Antonio: February to April is the drier stretch in Port Antonio, though no month is truly dry and rain tops 60 mm (2.4 in) in all 12.
Questions divers ask
Can divers go inside the Paul Bogle wreck at Port Antonio?+
Only with a Wreck Specialty certification. The exterior tour at about 18 m is included on the certified-diver boat trips; entering the hull needs the specialty, which can be taken locally.
Sources
- Dive sites – Lady G'Diver Boutique Dive Centre — Lady G'Diver Boutique Dive Centre
- Historic HMJS Paul Bogle laid to rest — Jamaica Observer
More dive sites in Port Antonio
Reef
A narrow coral ridge lined with azure vase sponges and sea fans
Artificial reef
Claudia Comte's cactus sculptures leading to a drop-off
Wall
Black coral and gorgonians on two separate wall sections
Pinnacle
A coral pinnacle that changes shape with every level circled
Wall
Shafts of light and a massive barrel sponge inside a rock crack
Reef
Green and hawksbill turtles over seagrass by the Blue Lagoon
Similar dives elsewhere
Three sunk ships and a retired underwater habitat in one bay
A 1986 artificial-reef freighter lying in 20 m of bay
A sunken fuel barge lying right alongside Malmok reef
A 1940 Navy fuel barge under a mesh kraken, in 17 m