Columbia Bricks

[Scuba Keli]

Does anyone know the story about Columbia Bricks, also known as Palancar Bricks in Cozumel? The area looks to be between Columbia and Palancar reefs on the southwest side of Cozumel, If you have ever dove there I'm sure you are familiar with both of these reefs and that is why it is sometimes called both. We dove there last week and loved it. We found an anchor and several bricks in the area, check the pics attached. Our Dive-master said that the anchor and bricks were from an 18th century Spanish vessel that went down carrying a load of bricks which were going to be used on some kind of road in the area. I can't find anything about this on the internet. According to the dive-master the stuff wasn't discovered until after hurricane Wilma. Originally there were two anchors, one of which has disappeared in the coral and several bricks, most of which have been sold as souvenirs. I believe that my dive-master knows what he is talking about but I just want to get the rest of the story.

Thanks
Scuba Dave

 

[mississippidiver]

Years ago when I asked why the site was called 'Palancar Bricks' I was told that the bricks that were deposited there were originally ballast on some ship that dumped them. I never confirmed that story either.

 

[Augustus]

its a shipwreck which dates to somewhere after 1870 based on some coins that were salvaged many years ago. There actually were at least three anchors. One was removed in 1967 and went to Chancanab. After that the only way to recognize the site was the scatter of bricks which likely were cargo/ballast. When Wilma went over the island in 2005 it uncovered two more anchors plus bits and pieaces of the ship. Near the exposed anchor a boiler was partly uncovered for a while (buried now). A 100 or so meters toward the wall there is another anchor which is nearly totally buried (just see the ring). As to the ships name or nationality no idea.

 

[Augustus]

Anchor removed from Bricks back in 67 (leaning against wall)
ScubaBoard Gallery - Aqua Safari Cozumel 1967
Boiler
ScubaBoard Gallery - Palancar Bricks/Buried Boiler?
Buried Anchor
ScubaBoard Gallery - Anchor The Bricks

 

[cvchief]

Cool Pics, Augustus!

 

[sharky60]

Bricks is one of my favorite deep dives. It is like rolling all of Coz's deep dives into one.

Most of the time we bottom out around 80', so it's not super deep and there almost always seems to be good light for photography.

Dropping down on the sandy bottom at the beginning, this is where you will find the bricks and sometimes pieces of the barge that sunk there, if any are uncovered at the time. Also I've seen garden eels in this area and in the sandy flats on the channel side of the reef before it starts to drop off.

There is a small swim-thru near the beginning of the dive when you are moving through the pinnacles and valleys. Not all DM's go through it as it is very vertacle, and tight, similar to the Devil's Throat swim-thru at Punta Sur but smaller.

Then you move around the bend and the dive becomes more of a true wall dive with lots of in's and out's to explore and more tall pinnacles.

This is one of the few sites where I have heard of Black Tip sharks being seen on occaision....oooh! REAL sharks!!!

Then at the end of the dive, there are a couple more swim-thrus if time and air allow before heading back out over the sand for a safety stop.

It's a great dive!

 

[thibert]

Was looking for what dive site I saw this anchor on and it seems to be the Bricks.