Mama Viña
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Mama Viña is a shipwreck dive site located off Playa del Carmen, on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. The vessel was a former shrimp boat deliberately sunk in 1995 and has since developed into a thriving artificial reef.
The wreck rests at around 28 metres (90 feet), with dives typically conducted in the 20–30 metre (65–100 feet) range. It is a classic drift dive: divers descend quickly to the bow, and the current here can be strong, requiring good buoyancy control and solid air management throughout the dive.
Marine life on the wreck is well established. Large schools of barracuda regularly circle the mast, and bull sharks are frequently spotted patrolling the sandy bottom around the wreck during the winter season, making this a notably high-adrenaline site.
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The dive is conducted as a boat dive, departing directly from Coco Beach in the centre of Playa del Carmen, with no transfer to a distant marina required. An Advanced Open Water Diver certification or equivalent demonstrated experience in buoyancy control and air management is required to dive this site.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Sea turtleSea turtleConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Moray eelMoray eelConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
LobsterLobsterReported here · unconfirmed
StingrayStingrayReported here · unconfirmed
LionfishLionfishReported here · unconfirmed
Bull sharkBull sharkConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Atlantic Sergeant MajorAbudefduf saxatilisReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed
Caribbean Land Hermit CrabCoenobita clypeatusReported here · unconfirmed
French GruntHaemulon flavolineatumReported here · unconfirmed
GrouperGrouperConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
Bull SharkCarcharhinus leucasConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
BarracudaBarracudaConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
Garden eelGarden eelReported here · unconfirmed
SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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