Day 2 started great; waking up to this view every morning is fantastic.
Today’s dives were great; I got to see some great coral walls and tunnels.
I was signed up for a wreck dive in the afternoon. This is my first wreck dive, and it went very well. I was worried at first, but once I was there, it was amazing.
HISTORY OF THE C-53 WRECK
The C-53 was built in Tampa in 1944 at the Wilson Marine Ship Works. It was built as a mine sweeper for service during World War II and named under Scuffles. After the war in 1946, it was decommissioned.
In 1962, the C-53 was discharged and sold to the Mexican Navy. It was converted into an Admiral Class Gunboat and retitled ARM General Felipe Xicoténcatl (C53). It was named after Felipe Santiago Xicoténcatl, who was a General in the Mexican Army.
The C-53 was purchased to guard the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea in Search & Rescue operations. In addition to providing surveillance of illegal arms and drug trafficking.
Felipe Xicoténcatl (Cozumel C-53 shipwreck) provided 37 years of assistance to the Mexican Navy and finally retired in 1999.
DEPTH
(50′-70’/15m-21m)
DIMENSIONS
The C-53 is 184 feet (56 meters) long and 33 feet (10 meters) wide. It was sunk to the bottom of the Caribbean perfectly upright. It rests on the seabed 70 feet (21 meters) from the surface.
The Cozumel C-53 wreck stands 40 feet (12 meters) from the seabed, permitting divers to reach the wreckage by descending 30 feet (9 meters) from the surface.
LOCATION
It was sunk in Cozumel in June of 2000.
The location chosen for the wreck is just offshore from Chankanaab Park. The site was selected for many reasons, including easy access for divers in an area sheltered from strong currents. It was lodged on a giant sand bar where the ship would not cause any damage to the existing reef structures.
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Navigating through life, or as I like to call it, stumbling through a travel brochure, I’ve bounced from one continent to another like a ping pong ball. From riding a camel around the pyramids and getting lost in Cairo’s bazaars, to scuba diving wrecks off Florida, mingling with sharks in Roatan, and admiring Cozumel’s coral reefs. And amidst this whirlwind of adventure, I find time to scribble it all down in a blog, because what’s a near-death experience with a dolphin if you can’t brag about it online, right? So here’s to cheap travels, history lessons in every port, and unforgettable under-the-sea encounters. May my suitcase always be packed and my oxygen tank never be empty!
