Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernández) · Chile · Wreck
SMS Dresden Wreck
A First World War German cruiser at 70 m in Cumberland Bay
Area photo: Richard N Horne · CC BY-SA 4.0
The SMS Dresden is a German cruiser that her crew scuttled in Cumberland Bay during the First World War, after which most of them were interned in Chile. The 118.3 m (388 ft) hull lies at 70 m (230 ft), which makes the wreck a technical dive rather than one of the island's recreational sites.
Also known as Dresden.
Where it is and how deep
33.6356° S, 78.8186° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Dresden lies in Cumberland Bay, the bay off San Juan Bautista where the island's dive boats run their shortest trips, all within about 20 minutes of the village. The German cruiser was scuttled there by her own crew in the First World War, and the hull, 118.3 m (388 ft) long overall, now rests at 70 m (230 ft).
That depth makes the Dresden a technical dive, not a recreational one, almost twice as deep as the 36 m Miraflores off Santa Clara, which the island's dive centres already reserve for advanced divers with deep certification. The wreck lies on her starboard side, pointing north toward the beach. The scuttling charges cut off the bow, which sits upright on the sea floor, and much of the upper works, including the bridge, masts and funnels, has been torn away.
The wreck
- Vessel
- SMS Dresden
- Type
- German cruiser
- Length
- 118.3 m (388 ft)
- Sunk
- 1915
- Cause
- Scuttled by her crew
- Lies
- At 70 m (230 ft) in Cumberland Bay
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernández): Flights from Santiago run mostly in January and February and seldom outside November to March; January to March is also the warmest water.
Know before you go
- At 70 m (230 ft) the wreck is far below recreational limits; it is a dive only for technically trained and equipped divers.
Dive videos
Buceo en el Naufragio del SMS Dresden, 2013. · Tamarugo Dive on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Dresden wreck at Robinson Crusoe Island?+
The Dresden lies at 70 m (230 ft) in Cumberland Bay, which makes it a technical dive rather than a recreational one.
Sources
- SMS Dresden (1907) — Wikipedia
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