El Ancla Wreck

El Ancla — named for the large anchor that marks the site — is a 19th century trading vessel wreck lying in 18 to 28 m of water off the coast near Hanga Roa, colonized over the decades into a dense artificial reef that stands out sharply against Easter Island's otherwise volcanic substrate. The hull structure provides attachment points for black corals, encrusting sponges, and seafans, while the protected interior shelters moray eels, lobsters, and large schools of glassfish. The wreck is considered accessible to advanced open water divers and its relatively shallow depth allows long bottom times in Easter Island's unusually clear water.