Sint Maarten · Sint Maarten · Wreck
Carib Cargo
An upright hurricane casualty at 19.8 m with stingrays on the seagrass sand
Area photo: Gillfoto from Juneau, Alaska, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Carib Cargo, also called the RoRo or Carib Ghost, is a cargo ship that was damaged by Hurricane Luis in 1995, moored off Philipsburg for a year and then torn from her mooring by Hurricane Bertha in 1996. She sits upright at 19.8 m on sand surrounded by seagrass, and divers come for the upright hull and the chance of stingrays, reef sharks and green turtles around it.
Also known as Carib Ghost, RoRo.
Where it is and how deep
17.9939° N, 63.0704° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive starts from the boat over the wreck and goes straight down to the hull. The ship sits upright, so you meet her the right way up, with the deck and superstructure above you and the sand at 19.8 m (65 ft) around her. The seabed is a mix of bare sand and seagrass, and this is the first place to look: stingrays settle on the sand beside the hull, so make a slow pass along the bottom edge of the ship at 19.8 m before you start on the wreck itself.
From the sand, work up and around the hull. Because she is upright there is a full circuit to make, with a chance of reef sharks and green turtles around the structure. PADI uses the site for its Wreck, Deep and navigation training, which tells you the shape of the dive: a deep-ish bottom, a defined structure to navigate around, and a limited window at depth. Keep an eye on no-decompression time, then come up the structure to finish shallow above the deck before the safety stop under the boat.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Carib Cargo (RoRo, Carib Ghost)
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Cause
- Damaged by Hurricane Luis in 1995, taken off her mooring off Philipsburg by Hurricane Bertha in 1996 and found on the sand some time later
- Lies
- Upright at 19.8 m on sand surrounded by seagrass
The Carib Cargo was damaged by Hurricane Luis in 1995. For a year afterwards she stayed moored in front of Philipsburg, until Hurricane Bertha took her off her mooring line in 1996. She was found some time later, sitting upright on the sand, and has since become one of the best-known wreck dives on Sint Maarten and a PADI-listed training site for wreck, deep and navigation courses. Her earlier working life and where she came from are not recorded in the published sources.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Reef sharks
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Sint Maarten: Conditions vary little through the year; Jun–Nov is hurricane season and Dec–Apr plus Jul–Aug are the crowded months.
Know before you go
- The sand around the hull is at 19.8 m, beyond an Open Water limit, so agree a maximum depth with the guide and watch no-decompression time on the seabed.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Carib Cargo wreck?+
The wreck sits upright with the sand around her at 19.8 m (65 ft). There is no shallow end: the dive starts on the seabed and works up the hull.
Do I need Advanced Open Water for the Carib Cargo?+
It is recommended. The seabed at 19.8 m is beyond the usual Open Water limit, and PADI lists the site for its Advanced Open Water, Wreck and Deep courses.
Sources
- Carib Cargo (Wreck) — Scubago
- Carib Cargo dive site — PADI
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