HYBUR 8 - Caribbean Coast
We love a good wreck, and the HYBUR 8, just off Guatemala's Caribbean coast, really delivers. This old schooner went down in 1990, so it’s had plenty of time to become a proper artificial reef, but it’s still very much a ship. You can drop onto the deck at 15 metres, often finding schools of jacks circling the masts. Inside, where the holds once carried cargo, now you’ll often find nurse sharks resting on the bottom, or big groupers eyeing you from the shadows. What makes the HYBUR 8 stand out is how accessible it is. It’s a relatively shallow wreck, so you get great bottom time, and the light penetration often picks out the details of the bow and stern. Our favourite part is finning through the superstructure, feeling the cool water shift as you pass through open doorways, with tangs and parrotfish grazing on the corals that have started to encrust the metal. It’s perfect for divers who appreciate the history of a wreck but also want to see it thriving with new life. Look for the barracuda that usually hang out near the deeper side, just off the stern.
- Location
- Caribbean Coast, Guatemala, Central America
- Coordinates
- 15.875834, -87.916664
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 15m
Marine Protected Area: Punta de Manabique
Best Time to Dive in Caribbean Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Caribbean Coast occur in January, averaging 27.7°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.7°C (air: 25.3°C)
- February: 27.7°C (air: 25.4°C)
- March: 27.7°C (air: 26.6°C)
- April: 27.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- May: 27.7°C (air: 28.5°C)
- June: 27.7°C (air: 28.1°C)
- July: 27.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- August: 27.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- September: 27.7°C (air: 27.8°C)
- October: 27.7°C (air: 27.3°C)
- November: 27.7°C (air: 26.1°C)
- December: 27.7°C (air: 25.1°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Caribbean Coast
- BB-17 - 12m (wreck)
- CHAVIN - 9m (wreck)
- Gladden Spit (reef)
- Gladden Spit (reef)
- HERCULES - 12m (wreck)
- JUSTO RUFINO BARRIOS II - 10m (wreck)
- KARINA I - 10m (wreck)
- Laughing Bird Caye
- Laughing Bird Caye Slope
- MISS TAMMY - 3m (wreck)
- Pompion Wall - 45-70 feet (wall)
- Rio Dulce Reef - 3-12m (reef)
- SAMANTHA - 3m (wreck)
- Seal Cays (reef)
- South Water Caye
Nearest Dive Centres to HYBUR 8
Marine Life in Caribbean Coast
Home to 459 recorded species including 380 reef fish, 32 hard corals, 12 other, 8 sharks & rays, 6 sea urchins, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Redear Herring (Harengula humeralis) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Thin leaf lettuce coral (Agaricia tenuifolia) - Hard Corals
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
- Fray (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Blue Parrotfish (Sparisoma chrysopterum) - Reef Fish
- Threespot Damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Broad Shad (Gerres cinereus) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for HYBUR 8
Based on average water temperature of 27.7°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories