Pinguino

The Pinguino was designed for the United States Navy as an Admirable-class minesweeper: her keel was laid on 15 April 1944 under the name Risk (AM 291), she was launched on 7 November 1944, and construction was canceled on 1 November 1945. In 1947 the hull was bought by Harrisville Corp. of Honduras and completed as George Gamblin; in 1953 she passed to Three Bays Corp. of Panama as Winding Bay, and in 1962 she was bought by Garimar S.A. of Panama and renamed Pinguino. She was a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier with a steel hull and a displacement of 998 tons, and she was carrying 18 tons of carnauba wax, cashew nuts, sisal and coffee. Her declared destination was Buenos Aires, after a call at Angra dos Reis.

On the night of 23 June 1967, a short circuit in the engine room caused a fire and damage, and the ship returned to Angra dos Reis; the next morning the fire spread because of the carnauba wax cargo. Unable to put out the flames, they towed the ship to Enseada do Sítio Forte, on Ilha Grande. The fire lasted 32 hours, and some crew members jumped into the sea before the lifeboats were launched. The ship sank on 26 June 1967, after 9:25 p.m., having floated for two days listing about 40°. All crew members were rescued by the ship Monte Castelo, with support from the tug Tritão and launches from the Escola Naval, and there is no record of deaths. A police inquiry was opened, since the fire was suspected of having been set to cover up smuggling, as the ship was off the route stated in her documents.

The breakup of the hull accelerated around 2015, and in November 2023 the stern hold collapsed and the superstructure fell in completely. The invasive sun corals Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis have been recorded on the wreck.