Bordered by soaring snow-capped mountains, the Beagle Channel is situated in the extreme Southern portion of South America. Just one of the three navigable passages around South America between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, this little channel is narrow enough that most commercial shippers avoid it entirely. 240 kilometers long and just 5 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, the channel separates Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego from the rest of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago’s islands. Connected to the Pacific Ocean by Darwin Sound, it is named after the famous HMS Beagle, which navigated the channel in 1833 with naturalist Charles Darwin Aboard. As one might imagine, the channel’s rocks have claimed many victims. Here are three of its best wrecks; many of the rest are not diveable.
Mañana
A very easy dive suitable for all levels, the Mañana is located near the tip of the island’s peninsula, just offshore from the airport. Easily accessed, as she rests in just 12 meters of water, this small wooden wreck is fairly intact, with her wheelhouse, stern, and mast partially covered in a colorful shroud of kelp, sponges, and ascidians. You’ll encounter quite a few fish and crustaceans, including some spindle-legged king crabs inside the wreck. Excellent for photography, and a fantastic site for a second dive, this little wreck is a gem.
Sarmiento
A steamer dating back to 1901, the SS Sarmiento was an Argentinian passenger and cargo vessel just over 100 meters long. Built in Glasgow, and powered by steam, the ship was lost on April 2nd of 1912, when she ran aground while en route to Rio Gallegos from Ushuaia. Only partially submerged and accessible from shore, the ship rises up from her kelp-strewn resting place, providing shelter to all sorts of fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Well worth the lengthy boat ride required to reach the site, this old ship has some areas which can be penetrated by properly trained and equipped divers; less experienced divers will find lots to look at out along the wreck’s outer reaches.
Monte Cervantes
A massive ocean liner, broken into two halves, the wreck of the Monte Cervantes is accessible only to experienced divers. This old German ship has an interesting history; built in 1928, she was 160 meters long, and when she was lost on January 22nd of 1930, she was carrying 1200 passengers and 350 crew members. Incredibly, all but the ship’s captain survived the wreck, leaving a treasure trove of artifacts behind to grace the glamorous old girl as she beckons divers from all over the world.
Only diveable on days when the weather is clear and calm, the ship was broken in two during salvage attempts, and only the upper portion is at recreational depths, resting beneath 40 meters of cold water. Here, you’ll find many cabins along with several sections of deck. The remainder of the hull rests nearby, at depths between 80 and 100 meters. Home to crabs and plenty of fish, the wreck is out in the open, and is subject to swift currents.
The weather in the Beagle Channel is unpredictable. The weather might be calm and clear when you descend to a site, and windy when you surface. Winds have a tendency to change direction, and water temperatures are chilly all year, with winter temperatures at 2-4 degrees Celsius, and summer temperatures between 8-10 degrees. During the winter, visibility is excellent; during the summer, plankton blooms cause it to drop to just a few meters. There is just one local dive operator, Carlos Giuggia, who is a member of AFASyN, which stands for Asociación Fueguina de Actividades Subacuáticas y Naúticas, or Subaquatic and Nautical Activities Association in Tierra del Fuego. Well-equipped and happy to provide instruction, he and his crew provide trips to these wreck sites year round.