AH-WR-1194

Salvatierra

Ferry · Mexico · Lost 1976 · The Sea of Cortez

A converted WWII landing-ship hull turned car-and-cargo ferry, the Salvatierra struck a hidden rock in the channel to La Paz in 1976 and now lies as a popular dive.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built on the hull of a WWII-era Landing Ship Tank and converted into a passenger ferry, Salvatierra served La Paz's supply route to Topolobampo for decades under the Ruffo family's Naviera del Pacifico. In June 1976, while carrying a cargo-only load of gasoline, jet fuel, butane, and diesel, she struck the submerged Suwanee Rock in the San Lorenzo Channel, gashing her engine room. All aboard escaped safely to Playa Tecolote, and the ship sank on her side in about 60 feet of water, where she remains a well-known dive site today.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: United States (built on a WWII-era LST hull)
Material: Steel
Length: 320 ft
Beam: 50 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Diesel
Owners: Naviera del Pacifico, S.A. (Ruffo family, La Paz)

Loss

Date: June 1, 1976
Cause: Grounding
Location: San Lorenzo Channel, near Suwanee Rock
Water: Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Bay of La Paz
Voyage: Topolobampo, Sinaloa → La Paz, Baja California Sur
Cargo: Gasoline, jet fuel, butane, and diesel fuel; no passengers were carried on this cargo-only run
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 60
Condition: Sank on its port side; later moved somewhat from the original sinking position during salvage attempts.
Orientation: On port side
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established