wreck

Log This Dive

LUCKY VIRGIN

Okay, let's talk about Lucky Virgin. Forget what you think you know about Malpelo, this isn't your typical hammerhead drift. We're talking about a proper wreck here, the remains of an old motor vessel from '58 that went down back in '87. It ran aground off San Andres, not actually Malpelo itself, but the data has it listed, so we’ll give it a moment. The Lucky Virgin sits shallow, really shallow, barely 2 metres down. What you get is a snapshot of maritime history. Her hull, a good 78 metres long, is still recognisable, a dark mass against the sandy bottom. You can trace the deck line, imagine her passage from Colon to Aruba before things went wrong. For photographers, it’s a cool subject, especially if the light is right, catching the sun glinting off the metal. It’s a site for those who appreciate the story behind the dive, less about big pelagics and more about the quiet contemplation of a man-made structure reclaimed by the sea.