Diving the Cartanza Wreck off St. Thomas in the USVI

The Cartanza, sometimes called the Cartanza Senora or Cartanser Senior, has an interesting story as do many wrecks. We just love learning about the history of these artificial reefs. In this case, there is also a wonderful conservation angle. Local divers organized an around the clock protest which was instrumental in preserving the wreck which is a wonderful dive site today.

As with many shipwrecks, the Cartanza’s story follows a familiar theme. The 190 feet WWII freighter was later recommissioned as an agricultural transport. The local authorities got wind that some of the ‘agricultural products’ included some illegal drugs, and they were getting ready to raid the ship but somehow the captain and crew were one step ahead (the grapevine at the local bar is credited). They decided to abandon the ship before the raid took place leaving with their cargo in the tender boats and sinking the ship in St. Thomas Harbor.

The wreck in the harbor was deemed a navigational hazard and the local authorities called in the Army Corp of engineers to demolish the wreckage and free up the channel to boat traffic.

Local dive shops led by owner Bill Letts started to protest with a movement to save the wreck in the hopes of adding a recreational dive site. Money was raised to hire a crane to move the wreck to a shallow location that would facilitate diving and snorkeling. As this was taking place, the local dive shops held an underwater protest, basically having each of the dive shops doing dives day and night to keep the wreck site occupied to prevent the army from blowing it up. I guess we could call this a ‘dive-in’ protest!

Ultimately, it worked, and the army abandoned their efforts to demolish the wreck. The barge with a crane was hired to move the Cartanza to an area around Buck Island on June 16, 1979. While the idea was to bring it into a shallow cove, the money ran out and the wreck was dropped into 85 feet of water, making it unsuitable for snorkelers but still good for recreational diving.

In Sept 1989, Hurricane Hugo came through, breaking the enormous wreck up into three pieces, and actually rolled the Cartanza wreck into its current location (where it was originally planned!) in Shipwreck Cove just off the shore of Bulk Island.

Related post: Scuba Diving Vacation at Secret Harbour Beach Resort in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Cartanza Wreck Dive Site

As we slipped below the surface, the aft of the huge freighter was immediately visible in the clear waters sitting in a mere 40 feet or so of water.

The two huge diesel engines are easily visible through the open top and home to many creatures. We spotted a small goldentail moray hiding in there. The wreck is covered with colorful corals and has lots of life on and around it. And since the three sections are all close to each other, it’s easy to explore all three parts in a single boat dive.

As you navigate from one section to another, keep an eye out for yellowhead jawfish in the sand below. We saw dozens of these shy creatures out of their holes watching us, only to zip back in as we approached.

Just west of the wreck, be sure to check out the plaque honoring Bill Letts, the dive shop owner who led the efforts to save the Cartanza and without whom we would not have the opportunity to dive this wonderful wreck today.