Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Thetis sank on 5 December 1830. The captain was navigating by dead reckoning, without taking soundings, and so the ship struck the rocks at the base of Cabo Frio. Twenty-eight people died in the wreck.
During the salvage, a net was stretched at the entrance to the cove, which measures about 146 m, so the cargo would not be washed away. Today the place is called Thetis Cove. The English built a ramp to haul the salvaged material up to the top of the hill, and it still appeared in photos from 1996. In 1978/79 a new excavation took place at the site, led by Robert Stenuit and Deni Albanese aboard the Presmar, recovering many items.
Most of the wreckage was removed by the successive salvage operations. What remains are cannonballs and chains fused together by corrosion, along with the last three iron cannons.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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