Lupus

The Lupus is a tugboat built in 1955 by EMAQ, in Rio de Janeiro, for Wilson & Sons. On January 18, 2002, she was deliberately sunk to serve as an artificial reef, together with the tugboats Servemar X and Minuano, in an official Projeto Mar operation carried out with all the required authorizations. After two and a half hours with her valves open she still would not sink, so the team pushed her on the side with another tugboat to heel the hull over and speed up the flooding.

Today the hull rests upright on her keel, with the bow pointing to 240°, and the propeller and rudder are still in place. The vessel's name can still be read on the hull. The Lupus was sunk at a time when it was allowed to leave both engines on board, and they remain in the engine room, which makes penetration into the main hold tighter. In 2024 the superstructure was completely corroded, and penetration into the two upper levels is advised against.

In Recife, the best time to dive usually runs from September to May, since in June, July and August frequent rains leave the sea rough.