Hondureño Shipwreck in Isla Mujeres
- Tracy Sharlene Gunn
- May 2, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: May 10, 2025
Near Isla Mujeres, you can find the shipwreck of The Hondureño, a massive shrimp boat that sank while trying to escape one of the island's most ferocious hurricanes. The site is located not far from North Beach and offers excellent visibility, but due to the challenging conditions, it is best suited for experienced divers.
The Hondureño is a shipwreck on the National Park's outskirts, just 3 kilometres (2 miles) from North Beach. A quick 25-minute boat ride will take you to the remains of this large shipwreck, one of the biggest in the area. Once a remarkable 36-meter (120-foot) shrimp boat, it has a poignant history.
Unlike many other shipwrecks around Isla Mujeres, which were intentionally sunk to create artificial reefs and dive sites, the story of the Hondureño is different. This ship fell victim to Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, one of the strongest hurricanes to strike the area. The captain was out in the open ocean during the fierce storm and attempted to outrun it, but tragically, the boat sank while battling the relentless waves. Hurricane Gilbert devastated the island, and the locals still remember this event vividly.
The wreck is located 21 meters (70 feet) below the surface and offers excellent visibility of up to 20 meters (65 feet), making it a fantastic yet challenging dive site. Due to its depth and the often medium to strong currents, this location is recommended for advanced or experienced divers.
The wreck's remains have become a habitat for a diverse array of marine life. While diving at this site, you can expect to encounter various species, such as cobia fish, rainbow parrotfish, stonefish, green moray eels, nurse sharks, and, like all the wrecks around the island, it is a popular spot for eagle rays.
Depth
21 meters / 70 feet
Boat Ride
20-25 min
Dive Type
Drift - Medium to Strong Current
Deep Dive
Artificial Reef - Wreck
Experience Level
Advanced Open Water, Experienced Diver
Recent Dive Experience
Average Visibility Underwater
20 mt / 65 feet
Average Water Temp
26 C°/ 79F°
Dive Time
30-35 min (Safety Stop Required)
Tracy Gunn is the founder and owner of Pocna Dive Center on Isla Mujeres, Mexico. A former banker turned adventurer, Tracy left a decade-long corporate career to pursue her passion for diving and island life. With over 35 years of diving experience and 24 years of living on Isla Mujeres, she now serves as a PADI Course Director, training the next generation of divers at her dive school. When she’s not underwater, Tracy shares her love for the island and the ocean through engaging blogs about diving, marine life, and the culture of Isla Mujeres.
Interested in reading more from this author?
Blogs about Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and Recreational Scuba Diving: click here
Blogs about Instructor Development Courses and Professional Scuba Diving: click here
I’ve always wanted to explore a wreck with a real story behind it, and the Hondureño sounds like a must-visit for my next trip to Isla Mujeres. The 21-meter depth and strong currents definitely make it sound like a thrilling challenge for experienced divers. I usually draft my equipment checklists and travel itineraries in Markdown for its simplicity. To share these plans with my dive buddies as a high-quality document, I use Markdown To Pdf. It ensures all the technical details stay perfectly formatted in a polished PDF!
The tragic history of the Hondureño during Hurricane Gilbert adds such a somber yet fascinating layer to this dive site. It’s incredible how nature has reclaimed the ship and turned it into a thriving hub for eagle rays and moray eels. I’ve been organizing my dive logs and site maps in Markdown to keep track of my advanced certifications. For anyone else documenting their underwater adventures, I highly recommend using Best Markdown To Html. It’s an efficient way to turn your notes into clean, professional web layouts for a personal dive blog!
Learning about the Hondureño shipwreck’s tragic 1988 hurricane story makes this advanced dive site feel deeply memorable, and planning gear for its currents could even involve checking resources like placapcb for reliable equipment support.
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For experienced divers, The Hondureño’s history is compelling. To easily plan such adventures, a reliable resource like https://nullbrawl.org/ can be very helpful for finding detailed dive site information.