La Poza, Xcalak - Yucatán Cenotes
The Nebo Wreck isn't just another pile of metal on the seabed, it's a genuine slice of history. Sunk in 1884 while carrying railway supplies to Durban, we love how the wreck has settled, almost upright, with its bows pointing south. Dropping down, you're immediately struck by the sheer scale; the cargo holds are still visible, filled with the railway lines that never made it to shore. We often find ourselves just hovering, watching the schools of batfish drift over the main deck, their shadows dancing on the rusting steel. The swim-throughs here are easy, even for less experienced wreck divers, though we always suggest good buoyancy control. Inside the holds, look for the smaller stuff – Poss' Scorpionfish tucked into crevices and plump pufferfish peering out from behind corroded beams. Outside, the resident giant guitarfish are often resting on the sand nearby, almost camouflaged. We've had some memorable encounters here with them. Visibility can be a bit variable, so pick your day, but even with average vis, the wreck's structure is so impressive it’s still a rewarding dive. It's a proper adventure, a real window into a bygone era, with some fantastic marine life thrown in.
- Location
- Yucatán Cenotes, Mexico, North America
- Coordinates
- 18.262900, -87.824900
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Arrecifes de Xcalak
Nearby Dive Sites in Yucatán Cenotes
- Acuario (reef)
- Acuario (reef)
- Akumal Reef (reef)
- Akumal Reef (wreck)
- Angelita Cenote - 30-60m (cenote)
- Bahia Príncipe (reef)
- Bahia Príncipe (wreck)
- Blue Ha Reef (reef)
- Casa Cenote (reef)
- Cenote Angelita (cenote)
- Cenote Angelita (reef)
- Cenote Angelita (cenote)
- Cenote Azul - 5-15m (cenote)
- Cenote Calavera (cenote)
- Cenote Carwash (cenote)
Nearest Dive Centres to La Poza, Xcalak
- Dive Life SCUBA
- MAR ADENTRO DIVING - PADI, SSI
Marine Life in Yucatán Cenotes
Home to 425 recorded species including 340 reef fish, 30 hard corals, 14 other, 13 sharks & rays, 6 crabs & lobsters, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Spiny Brittle Star (Ophiocoma echinata)