wreck

Log This Dive

DON PANCHO

Don Pancho, off Peru’s northern coast, isn’t your typical Caribbean postcard wreck. This isn't a pristine ship sitting upright for Instagram, but it’s still one of our favourite dives in the area. What we found was a fishing vessel, sunk back in ‘75 near Paita, now broken up and spread across the sandy bottom at 27 metres. It feels more like an archaeological site than a single, coherent wreck. The real draw here is the way the ocean has completely reclaimed it. Metal plates lie scattered, creating nooks and crannies where we’ve spotted giant morays peering out, their heads swaying. Schools of grunts and snappers hang thick around the larger sections, often so dense you have to fin through them. The visibility can be variable, sometimes a bit murky, but that just adds to the atmospheric gloom of the wreck. Look closely among the debris for nudibranchs, especially around the remaining structure of the stern. It's a dive for those who enjoy exploration, picking apart the story of a wreck that's long past its prime. Not for new divers, but experienced wreck enthusiasts will appreciate the hunt for marine life within the scattered remains.