Don Polo - Mar del Plata

Don Polo is an old fishing trawler, sunk deliberately, and it’s one of our favourite dives near Mar del Plata. It sits upright, an impressive silhouette at 14 metres, easy to navigate even on a murkier day. We love how much of the superstructure remains; you can duck into the wheelhouse, peer into the engine room, and swim along the deck, imagining the last crew. It’s perfect for divers who appreciate a wreck with a real sense of its former life. The hull is now a textured canvas of mussels and anemones, providing plenty of nooks and crannies for resident crabs and colourful nudibranchs. Keep an eye out for the shoals of silversides that often schooling over the deck, sometimes so thick they flicker like a silver curtain. The site is relatively sheltered, which generally means calm conditions, though visibility can vary with the plankton blooms. We’d suggest going in the morning; the light filtering through the water columns really brings out the wreck’s details.

Location
Mar del Plata, Argentina, South America
Coordinates
-34.024364, -58.678432
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
14m

Best Time to Dive in Mar del Plata

The warmest water temperatures in Mar del Plata occur in January, averaging 26.7°C. The coolest conditions are in July at 11.0°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 26.7°C
  • February: 25.8°C
  • March: 24.1°C
  • April: 20.3°C
  • May: 16.3°C
  • June: 13.0°C
  • July: 11.0°C
  • August: 12.2°C
  • September: 14.8°C
  • October: 18.2°C
  • November: 22.3°C
  • December: 24.8°C

Nearby Dive Sites in Mar del Plata

Nearest Dive Centres to Don Polo

Marine Life in Mar del Plata

Home to 33 recorded species including 19 reef fish, 7 sharks & rays, 3 whales & dolphins, 2 other, 1 crabs & lobsters, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for Don Polo

Based on average water temperature of 19.1°C, currents 3 cm/s.

  • Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 19°C water
  • 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