wreck

Log This Dive

BELLA NAPOLI

Bella Napoli, sitting just off the coast of Mar del Plata, isn’t your typical deep wreck dive. At a maximum depth of 5 metres, it’s a shallow, accessible peek into history, and we love it for that. This isn't a site for spotting pelagics, but rather a chance to intimately explore the remains of an old fishing trawler, sunk years ago. The best time to dive it is definitely on a calm day, when the swell dies down and the visibility, while never outstanding, opens up enough to really appreciate the structure. You’ll find the wreck itself largely intact, an eerie skeleton of steel ribs and plating. As you fin around, look closely for the details – an old winching drum, perhaps a broken porthole. We’ve often seen schools of silversides darting in and out of the darker corners, and the hull is covered in various anemones and mussels, providing shelter for crabs and small gobies. It’s an interesting contrast, the rusting metal softened by the slow takeover of marine life. Our favourite part is navigating through the open sections of the deck, feeling the slight current push you gently past the barnacle-encrusted machinery. It’s a great site for new divers getting their first taste of wreck diving, or for photographers looking to capture the texture and light play in shallow water.