Barco C-58

Barco C-58 is a deliberately sunk World War II-era Mexican Navy patrol vessel that now functions as an artificial reef and wreck dive. The intact wreck is split into two sections - a larger stern and a bow section roughly 100-150 meters apart - lying on a white sandy bottom and encrusted in corals and sponges. The site is known for abundant fish life and is especially famous from December through March for large schools of spotted eagle rays passing overhead. Access is by dive boat with a backward-roll entry; the stern has a fixed descent line. The wreck tops lie around 24-26 meters with the main structure at about 25 meters, so dives commonly reach about 25 meters and require proper decompression planning and safety stops. Currents are consistently strong year-round and the site is primarily a drift dive, with divers often riding the flow between stern and bow. Visibility is generally good, commonly about 20-30 meters, and water temperatures are typically in the mid- to high-20s °C. Advanced open-water certification or equivalent experience is required; experienced divers may penetrate the stern through large openings while the bow is used only as an additional drift target. Use of a delayed surface marker buoy during ascent and attention to boat traffic on ascent are standard practice. The vessel was deliberately sunk as an artificial reef; it was originally the US Navy minesweeper USS Harlequin and later served as a Mexican Navy patrol vessel. The stern sits upright and contains large internal openings and compartments, including a bathroom with toilets, while the bow lies on its side and is not used for overhead penetration.