Shore diving at El Cid

[soonerwink]

The first time I saw it was snorkeling there in 1978; it was fairly intact then. Good luck finding it now; first Gilbert then Wilma did a number on it. I think most of the pieces of it got washed out over the wall.

There are still a couple of good size pieces left, doesn't resemble a plane at all, but a lot of marine life around it. It is pretty shallow, around 20 feet.

 

[soonerwink]

There is also a very big anchor.

 

[sharky60]

We used to stay at El Cid when it was just La Ceiba. The shore dive there used to be called "Airplane flats" because the remnants of a plan, said to be sunk for a movie, used to be out there, but from what I've heard, Wilma pretty much wiped it away.

The rest of the area is pretty shallow, sandy bottom, with some turtle grass and rocks and maybe some small coral heads, getting to 25-30' where the plane used to be, maybe 30 yards out ...? Then slowly getting deeper from there.

There used to be A LOT of life around the plane, from octopus to scorpion fish, and juvies of most of the regulars, angels, puffers, trumpet fish, etc, ... day squid usually were hanging out around there as well.

we've been trying to get down there for several years to check it out, but haven't found a convenient place to get in yet.

 

[sharky60]

There are still a couple of good size pieces left, doesn't resemble a plane at all, but a lot of marine life around it. It is pretty shallow, around 20 feet.View attachment 453159 View attachment 453160

wow! there's more left of the plane than I was lead to believe! cool!

 

[sefuchs]

Not sure but they must have dumped some "junk" there in the last couple years. A few years back I don't think that much stuff was there, just a small shell of an airplane.

 

[soonerwink]

Not sure but they must have dumped some "junk" there in the last couple years. A few years back I don't think that much stuff was there, just a small shell of an airplane.

More than likely, the last hurricane or tropical storm uncovered it.