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I live in Quintana Roo, Mexico and as I am 81-years-old, I am now retired. I was born on December 10, 1938 in the Port of Xcalak, a village around six miles from where Mexico meets Belize. It was a typical small fishing port with just a few sandy streets.
You had mangrove trees behind and the Caribbean Sea in front of you, and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System close by, with excellent diving. I grew up there, but had to leave due to Hurricane Janet in 1955—which destroyed a huge amount of buildings and killed many people.
First I went to San Pedro, Belize for a few months and then to the island of Cozumel, Mexico. On Cozumel I continued working as a fisherman and after five years I returned to Xcalak and dedicated myself to lobster fishing.
I got married at the age of 20 and I had my first two children: Vidal and Benito Polanco. In 1968 I divorced and migrated from Xcalak, my beloved village. On my return to Cozumel I began my trips to the Chinchorro Bank atoll reef, as a guide, captain and diver. I got married again and had three more children: Victor, Luis Felipe, and Omar Polanco.
In the early 1970s I started working on a North American yacht named "Courthouse." I spent 40 years working on it, and over many seasons I made expeditions to Chinchorro Bank in the Atlantic Ocean and Alacranes (Scorpion Reef) in the Gulf of Mexico.
The first shipwreck I discovered was the "40 Cañones" (40 Cannons). I was chasing a big fish and the first thing I saw was the anchor and then the cannons. I named it that because I counted 40 cannons. I was surprised and enthusiastic about the discovery—right away I started looking and digging to see what I could find. Though I was scolded since the objective of our trip was to fish and not to look for treasures.
Over the years, I found 30 or so shipwrecks between Chinchorro Bank and Alacranes—they all have a different history and are named after the artifacts that have been found there. During these years, I met the oceanographer, Ramón Bravo. I made many trips with him to Chinchorro Bank to film documentaries and map the island.
In the Alacranes I had some of my favourite wreck discoveries. On a wreck we called "Sancho Panza" we discovered many religious objects: chandeliers, plates, cups, items used for Catholic Mass.
The second was near Chinchorro Bank; the "The English" wreck, which is now known as "Manuel Polanco." There we found Spanish and Mexican coins, for the museum of course.
I was looking for lobsters when I found "The English" wreck in the late 1990s, it was an emotional moment. When I took the Exploration and Water Sports Club of Mexico (C.E.D.Á.M) group to see it we found gold buttons with insignia of the Royal Navy and an anchor marked with an arrow—which indicated it was British government property.
I started working alongside the Subdirectorate of Underwater Archeology (SAS) of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) when I went on expeditions with C.E.D.Á.M. In 1984 I worked with María del Pilar Luna Erreguerena, founder of the Division of Underwater Archaeology for INAH. And I have since worked with Laura Carrillo who leads the Chinchorro Bank project for SAS-INAH with Dr. Roberto Junco, and Dr. Nicolás Ciarlo. I have also worked with an underwater archaeology enthusiast named Peter Tattersfield over the years, and I am grateful for all of their support.
At first, when my son Benito Polanco informed me that the SAS-INAH wanted to do me the honor of naming "The English" shipwreck after me, I didn't like the idea as there are other fishermen who also know about the wreck. But with the encouragement of my family, I accepted it with great pride.
I think it's an excellent idea that the SAS-INAH are studying the wreck further to discover its origins as part of their underwater archaeology work looking at Chinchorro Bank.
It fills me with pride that my son Benito was a guide for the recent expedition to the "Manuel Polanco", since he has spent many years doing the same as I have, and already sailed from Florida to Venezuela and all the Antilles as well as the Pacific, in addition to following in my footsteps—I am very proud of him.
If people find a wreck or something very old, they should not try to destroy it to find valuables. Instead, report it to the authorities and let a professional handle it.
Scientists need local fishermen to find the wrecks. Without us it could be slower and more expensive. And of course we the fishermen need scientists to help us understand the artifacts—the collaboration helps both groups to work better.
Manuel Polanco is a retired fisherman living in Quintana Roo, Mexico. He discovered the "Manuel Polanco" shipwreck in the 1990s along with more than 30 other wrecks off the coast of Mexico. He has five children, including his son Benito, who recently led an expedition with SAS-INAH to further explore the "Manuel Polanco" wreck.
Translated from Spanish by Marc Vargas. All views expressed in this piece are the writer's own.
