Nossa Senhora do Rosário

The Nossa Senhora do Rosário sank in a conflict with the Dutch, and one of the dates recorded for the sinking is 28 September 1648. Surrounded by two Dutch frigates as they boarded, the commander set fire to the gunpowder magazine, and the explosion struck all three ships. The Rosário and the Dutch Utrecht sank almost immediately. Of the more than 200 men aboard the Rosário, only 4 survived, and on the Utrecht 26 survived. The third ship in the battle, the Dutch Huys van Nassau, was badly damaged and ended up at Itaparica, where the Portuguese captured it, repaired it and renamed it Fortuna.

The wreckage was found by chance by compressor-diving fishermen, on the boat of Walter Dias de Andrade, one of the pioneers of diving in Bahia, and the official discovery date is 26 July 1976. Bronze cannons, porcelain and other objects recovered from the galleon are in the custody of the Brazilian Navy, and some of them are on display in museums in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, such as the Museu do Farol da Barra.

The wreck site is marked by a pile of ballast stones about 2 m high, with iron cannons on top and admiralty anchors alongside. More cannons lie scattered on the sand, perhaps because of the explosion. In the Salvador region you can dive all year round, but in winter there tend to be fewer options because of bad weather.