Can anyone tell me what we saw?

[k46tank]

We just got back from Coz. and dove three days and one night with Liquid Blue (http://www.liquidbluedivers.com/) and had a GREAT time. On one of the dives, at Palancar I believe, we saw a large, flat (15' x15' or bigger) concrete object in the sand. It looked almost like a large storm drain or some sort of access hatch. I forgot to ask Julio (our DM with Liquid Blue) what it was.

I'm sure it has been seen numerous times before, but it was quite strange looking. Can anyone tell me what it was?

[Tom Smedley]

There was a statue of Christ at Palancar that is now somewhere else. What you most likely saw was the base of that statue.

[DandyDon]

You found the tunnel to the other side of the island. I've heard it's cool. You didn't go in? :confused:



From one source, it was moved to Chankanaab Park.

One of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. The Horseshoe is a series of tightly packed giant coral heads forming a natural horseshoe rising 30 metres to the surface. Former home of the Christ statue (which now stands in Chankanaab Park), this is still Palancar's busiest deep dive. Remember to take a torch with you to pick out the true colours of the animals and corals.
From another...

This statue was donated by Jacques-Yves Cousteau to Cozumel.

[jlyle]

Do you mean this one?

http://chemistry.csudh.edu/faculty/jim/AAAcozaug05/rogerstatue.jpg

[Sue Sue]

We just got back from Coz. and dove three days and one night with Liquid Blue (http://www.liquidbluedivers.com/) and had a GREAT time. On one of the dives, at Palancar I believe, we saw a large, flat (15' x15' or bigger) concrete object in the sand. It looked almost like a large storm drain or some sort of access hatch. I forgot to ask Julio (our DM with Liquid Blue) what it was.

I'm sure it has been seen numerous times before, but it was quite strange looking. Can anyone tell me what it was?

Whatever you do, do not lift the concrete block. That is actually a plug put there by the Mexican government when the Marine Park was established. If it gets pulled up..watch out...all the water will empty out of the Palancar reef. :D If it isn't the foundation to the cross, it could be of course any debris from the storms perhaps. Just wondering, when was the cross lost?? Emily, Wilma or other??? Are there any pictures out there before or after? Sue

Addendum: Is the previous post an after picture?
Addendum-Addendum: Well if I would have read all of Don's post, I would have known that the cross was moved..sorry...however, are there any photos of the cross before or after the move?

[DandyDon]

Do you mean this one?
Didn't know they'd replaced it.

I'll be there Saturday. Thot about posting a "Bikini Models Wanted" thread, but I usually need a siesta between outings.

Update from http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/

North Atlantic Storm Advisories

There is no tropical storm activity for this region.
:D

[k46tank]

You found the tunnel to the other side of the island. I've heard it's cool. You didn't go in? :confused:

I couldn't figure out the magic words, "Open Sesame" didn't work.


I had thought about the base to the cross, but this was much bigger, looked to be over 15 feet across. It was not like jlyle's photo, this was flush with the surface of the sand. I didn't dig around it to get any idea of thickness because we were cruising by in the current. It wasn't smooth, the surface had grooves of around 2" wide. Also, if I remember it was not completely square. I think at least two of the corners were "clipped". It did look like a big drain.

[Ravzie]

I think Locke and Hurley are down there...

[jlyle]

The statue of Christ at Palancar Horseshoe was removed to Chankanaab many years ago. The picture I took was after hurricane Wilma blew the sand away from the platform. It may be covered once again.

[humanphibian]

I am fairly certain that this used to be on the top tier in the above photo

[k46tank]

I emailed Julio with LiquidBlue. Hopefully he will have an answer.

Tank

[DandyDon]

If I see it Sunday, I'll get some pics...

[bdshort]

Did you see this sequence of numbers anywhere on it: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 ??

[k46tank]

Nope, I didn't see any numbers. However, I didn't get a chance to examine it that close.

[DandyDon]

Nope, I didn't see any numbers. However, I didn't get a chance to examine it that close.
That was a joke. Google the numbers.

We dived it the other day but didn't see the pedestal. May just missed it, or the sand covered it again.

I think it's just the old base of the donate statue that was ripped off and moved inside the park.

[k46tank]

Good Joke! I never watched the show so I didn't pick up on that. When he posted them I was wondering what the significance of them were.

Unless the base was huge I don't think that could be it. The thing I saw was at least 10 feet, if not 15 feet across. Michaela from LiquidBlue thinks it might be some kind of old boiler that the hurricanes partially uncovered. If I'm not getting my dives mixed up I think it was just north of the big anchor at Palancar.

[ggunn]

Good Joke! I never watched the show so I didn't pick up on that. When he posted them I was wondering what the significance of them were.

Unless the base was huge I don't think that could be it. The thing I saw was at least 10 feet, if not 15 feet across. Michaela from LiquidBlue thinks it might be some kind of old boiler that the hurricanes partially uncovered. If I'm not getting my dives mixed up I think it was just north of the big anchor at Palancar.

The anchor is at Colombia.

[Augustus]

there more than one anchor scattered along the reef. After Wilma two anchors were uncovered from the Bricks. One of these has been leaned against a section of the inner reef of the Bricks. Next to it appears to be a buried section of a boiler. About 100 yards south of the anchor but towards the wall is another similar anchor which is nearly completly buried. You can see the ring and maybe a bit of the main anchor depending on the day. Further on I have seen two large anchors at Colombia on the inner side. I only have seen these a couple of times so not sure if they are still visible.

[Augustus]

Photos

Top photos is the uncovered anchor at the bricks. Second photo the buried anchor and third possible boiler which was located next to the uncovered anchor. that anchor was later moved to stand upright as you see in the photo.
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/500/thumbs/bricks_anchor_jpg.jpg (http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/106894)

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/500/medium/bricks_anchor_2.jpg

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC00042.JPG

[k46tank]

I'm sure the boiler that Augustus posted the photos of is the same one Michaela was talking about. I had no idea that they were there.

However, that is not what we saw......It looked something like this. If you were above it looking down. Only stuck up an inch or two above the sand and there was some sand on it and in the grooves. It appeared to be at least 10 feet long on each side.

[Augustus]

Is the anchor you refer to the one in the picture? If so it could be something assoicated with the Bricks site but which is buried most of the time. So if the photo is the anchor how far was it from that point. Maybe someone can spot it on another dive.

[k46tank]

Yes, the anchor that is leaning against the reef is the one I was referring to. If I remember correctly it was 100 yards or less north of the anchor.

[Augustus]

kinda doubt its associated with the bricks wreck then. The anchor always defined the north limit of the wreck scatter for me.

[diveprof]

The platform at Palancar Horseshoe now has a cross and plaque dedicated to Martin of Dive with Martin.

[loudives]

That might be the 2 section concrete culvert that used to lie with the openings up. If you picture a cinder block then imagine it 10' x 10' x 10' instead of 8" x 8" x 16". Maybe it got tossed around and wound up on its side and buried.

[Shepman]

The platform at Palancar Horseshoe now has a cross and plaque dedicated to Martin of Dive with Martin.

Glad to hear it.

That was a nice gesture on someone's part.

[Spratman]

It's obvious that it's a foundation from Atlantis. :D

[k46tank]

might be the 2 section concrete culvert

That would definitely be the correct size, but I have no idea if there was that much buried in the sand. I was thinking that it could be a section of a pier deck that was laying bottom side up(if it was poured on corrugated steel that would explain the grooves) but I don't know where it would have come from unless it was part of the old Corona Beach Club pier.


It's obvious that it's a foundation from Atlantis.

I'm beginning to think that might be the case and it has now disappeared again!

[Willar]

Aliens put it there! Stay away!!

[Davki]

Hee are a couple of pictures of Martin's cross on Palancar Bricks. Tell him "Hola" if you happen by it.

[billindenver]

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i261/billshook/martin-2.jpg

Odd that this one doesn't look like the other pictures. The cross was changed and the plaque added? That is Banca from Blue XT Sea in the background (the one looking away)...Tonia's ears were not up for this particular dive so I got my own personal DM! Poor thing, the thermoclines that day were pretty cool and she was shivering. If you know Blanca then you know she really needs a 7mil suit. :)

[Davki]

Odd that this one doesn't look like the other pictures. The cross was changed and the plaque added? That is Banca from Blue XT Sea in the background (the one looking away)...Tonia's ears were not up for this particular dive so I got my own personal DM! Poor thing, the thermoclines that day were pretty cool and she was shivering. If you know Blanca then you know she really needs a 7mil suit. :)


Same cross...the earlier pictures just didn't have the plaque yet. The cross was installed first and the plaque came several months later.

[billindenver]

I never met Martin, but he must have been pretty special to acquire such a following.