wreck

Log This Dive

MARIA ROSA

The Maria Rosa is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to in Negril. It’s a proper steamship, 76 metres long, built in 1931 and it went down on the Pedro Banks in 1962. Now, it’s broken up quite a bit over the years, but you can still get a real sense of its scale. We love finning along the deck plates, imagining the cargo hold when it was full. There are big sections of the hull still standing proud, forming swim-throughs for eager divers. Look inside the more sheltered parts, and you'll often spot nurse sharks tucked away, or moray eels peeking from crevices. We’ve seen huge schools of snapper here, just hanging over the wreck like a shimmering cloud. This isn't a deep dive, sitting at around 5 metres, so you get incredible bottom time. That means plenty of opportunity to really scrutinise the details, the barnacles, the way the coral has started to reclaim the metal. It’s ideal for photographers looking for interesting light play through the structure, and it’s a brilliant site for newer wreck divers to get a feel for exploring something man-made.