bottom. It’s a spectacular wreck to dive and shoot. I prefer to circle outside and enjoy the many big grouper, reef sharks, rays, and schooling fish for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Then, I head to the shallow reef for another 30 minutes to enjoy the midnight Parrot fish and more interactions with the black grouper. The kids have found a frogfish and a seahorse on this wreck two years in a row. 8. The El Aguila, Roatan: (Spanish for Eagle) The El Aguila was purchased and is owned by AKR and was sunk in 1997 to create an artificial reef. Hurricane Mitch tore her apart, and she currently rests in 3 separate pieces between 60 - 100 feet. She has a plethora of macro life around her top deck. I have found baby boxfish, seahorses, frogfish, juvenile trumpet fish, and eels. The bow is a perfect place to pose for family photos and see large grouper. This wreck is recommended for families with kids age 15+ and AOW certifications. Being more mindful of depth, time, and currents is essential. I’ve been taking families diving on these two wrecks for the past six years
with Mayan Princess and Turquoise Bay. The big turtles, rays, grouper, and schooling fish are so much fun to experience with kids on days with perfect conditions and expert guides. 9. The Hilma Hooker, Bonaire: Buddy Dive Operation provides guided dives: Available to dive with kids age 12+. The Hilma Hooker is a very famous wreck. This wreck was once a cargo ship used for drug smuggling. It was sunk just a 5-minute swim offshore. The Hooker sits at a max depth of 80 ft on her side. Her hull rises to just above 60 ft at her shallowest point. The Hooker is 236 ft long and fully intact, and she sank during her passage from Holland in 1984. Local dive operators made the wreck safe for recreational divers. The water surrounding the Hooker is generally crystal clear and easy to navigate around her. Kids aged 12+ with a Jr. Advanced or Advanced diver certification can quickly dive into this wreck, staying between 60 and 70 ft. They can enjoy schools of large Tarpon, Barracuda, eagle rays, turtles, and green moray eels. There are several species of
shrimps and seahorses around her hull. Kids aged 15 or older can drop down to explore her exterior. Penetration is only for trained and experienced wreck divers. 10. The Witconcrete Wreck, Belize: The Witconcrete Wreck was once a sugar transport ship built around 1942, now Belize’s first artificial reef. The Wit is one of the largest wreck dives in the Caribbean. Just 1 minute east of the Blackbird Caye Resort in the Turneffe Island Atoll Marine Reserve, she was sunk on an Oasis dive site. The Wit is 375 feet long, width 56 feet, and height 38’; the minimum depth is 50’. The Wit was moved from The US Virgin Islands after 35 years; she was gifted to Belize in May 2021. Much of the corals and sponges were preserved on her hull. Adults who are AOW certified with Kids aged 12+ who are Jr. Advance or Advanced Open Water Divers can safely dive into this wreck and enjoy big schools of fish, turtles, and sharks. Penetration is only for trained and experienced wreck divers.
www.familydivers.com 803-419-2556 dive@familydivers.com
www.oceanwishes.org
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