Guanaja, Bay Islands, Honduras

Jado Trader Wreck

The Jado Trader is a 75-meter cargo freighter intentionally sunk in 1987 off Guanaja's south shore as one of the earliest purpose-sunk wrecks in Honduras. The ship sits upright on a sandy bottom in 33 meters of water with the deck around 24 meters and the top of the wheelhouse at 18 meters. After more than three decades on the bottom the hull is heavily encrusted with hard corals, encrusting sponges, hydroids and tube sponges and has integrated into the surrounding reef structure. The wreck is open for penetration through the holds, engine room and bridge for divers with appropriate wreck training. Resident species include green moray, large grouper, schools of horse-eye jack, blackbar soldierfish, queen triggerfish, snapper and dense glassy sweeper aggregations in summer. Hawksbill turtles and the occasional spotted eagle ray are seen on the wreck. Conditions are usually calm with 22 to 28 meters of visibility.