Felipe Xicotencatl Shipwreck, Adolfo Lopez Mateos

At 3:30 the afternoon of June 7, 2005 - five years and a day after she was sunk - we dived down onto the wreck of Felipe Xicotencatl, sitting upright on the bottom - 184 feet long with a beam of 33 feet. Originally built in 1944, this minesweeper served with the US Navy for eighteen years as USS Scuffles. Purchased by Mexican navy in 1962, she was renamed Felipe Xicotencatl and converted to a gunboat. Until 1999 she patrolled the Caribbean to run down traffickers in illegal arms and narcotics. Starting on her deck at a depth of 72 feet, we spent 39 minutes penetrating her from stem to stern. Unfortunately, my dive light chose this occasion to go on the fritz, but because before her sinking the ship had been cleared of all obstacles like bunks, tables, chairs, etc, and holes had been cut to allow some light to reach into every room. I had no problem following Clara and Jordan with their dive lights all the way through her. We were so absorbed by this fascinating and well-preserved wreck that we paid little attention to the marine life swarming around it, although eventually we did realize that the sunken ship was surrounded by a host of the usual pretty but smallish tropical reef fish. It was a fine wreck dive, and well worth the extra cost.