Naufragio Emma

Naufragio Emma was a three-masted wooden and metal steamboat that sank on January 20, 1947, off the coast of Puerto Madryn. The helmsman was part of the Shackleton expedition fleet, which made its first voyage to the South Pole, in the early 20th century. One of the engines, the winch can be distinguished. Today, Naufragio Emma is considered an archeological shipwreck. The keel is visible because it is completely inverted and buried at the bottom.

The ship might be upside down but it turned into a vibrant dive site with lots of marine life including green moray eels, snapper, barracuda, and sea cucumbers. Divers are not permitted to go inside the ship but there are tons of things on the outside to keep anyone occupied. The current at this site is strong and the depth maxes out at 89 feet (27 m) so for these reasons, it’s best to be an intermediate diver.

If you plan on going inside then a flashlight is needed to see through the interior passageways. Also, while exploring the inside of the ship you will need to have buoyancy control and be comfortable moving through overhead spaces and doorways. The local divers managed to find the deck, the cabins, the poles, and part of the dead work that got stuck between the 35 and 45 meters of depth. At present, the area is visited by experts as the currents and the winds are strong and changeable and there is no shelter nearby. The hull rests at 110 meters of depth, beyond sport diving reach.

Location: Puerto Madryn, Argentina