Scuba Diving among Aruba Ship Wrecks before bad-mouthing Aruba 9/21
Aj 427
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Just having returned from our third Aruban dive trip, we thought the
info below might be of interest ?
(FYI: The Arubans we know are very depressed over the Holloway
situation but must wait for their Government to act.)
Info below written by Julie Greiner.
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Aruba is the scuba dive mecca of the Caribbean. Many of the dive sites
are located in shallow waters which range in depths of 30 to 60 feet,
making the island a perfect location for both novice and advanced
divers.
Aruba offers divers a bounty of plant and animal life, to name a few -
starfish, parrotfish, stingray, tube sponges, seafans and corals... that
would stretch the imagination of the most advanced diver.
Diving without Getting Your Hair Wet
For those who are curious and wish to see the under water wonders and
are not divers - there are other alternatives. Aruba's spectacular
underwater world may be seen from a traditional glass bottom boat which
takes tours every morning and afternoon to the German wreck, Antilla and
Arashi coral reefs.
For the more adventurous, there is the state-of-the-art Atlantis
Submarine which offers exploration cruises at 150 feet below the surface
on board their 46 passenger submarine.
Or there is the Sea Trek. You take a walk 20 feet below the surface
using a special diving helmet.
Ship Wrecks and Coral Reefs for Scuba Divers Some of the world's most
fascinating wrecks lie just off of Aruba's shores. One can secure a dive
map from many of the island's dive operators. These maps will include
some of the Caribbean's most interesting wrecks and pristine reefs to be
explored.
The California Wreck - surrounded by large coral formations and an
abundance of tropical fish. Located off Aruba's north shore coast, this
dive is for advanced divers due to the strong currents and choppy seas.
The wreck is 111 years old. California was the name of a steamship
shipwrecked off the wild northern coast of Aruba in the middle of the
night September 23rd, 1891.
The Arashi Reef - a perfect site for beginner divers or for those that
have not been diving in a long time. The area is home to brain coral,
large star corals and many sea fans.
The Antilla Wreck - locally referred to as the "ghost ship" a German
freighter which was scuttled off the coat of Aruba when the Germans
demanded oil from the refineries on the island. This wreck offers divers
large compartments to explore along with giant tube sponges, lobster and
tropical fish.
The Malmok Reef - has an abundance of colored barrel sponge, along with
huge lobster and stingray who inhabit this reef made up mainly of brain
and leaf corals.
The Pedernales Wreck - was hit by German submarine torpedo, offers
divers the opportunity to swim among the remains of whole cabins of this
oil tanker. It is home to grouper and angel fish and the bow and stern
of this vessel was excavated and welded together and used in the
Normandy invasion later in WWII.
The Harbour Reef - a pleasant beginner dive. The Harbour reef is a giant
slope of plant life and sea fans.
The Sonesta Reef - a private dive spot home to two sunken airplanes
where many forms of marine life make their home. This sandy bottomed
site is surrounded by different corals.
The Tugboat Wreck - one of the island's most superb dives, this site
drops through brain, star and sheet coral formations to an old tugboat
where sting rays and spotted-eagle rays have been close by. This
thrilling dive also offers the opportunity to meet fact-to-face with two
green moray eels, which "guard" the boat.
The Barcadera Reef - a breathtaking seascape, this reef has an enormous
amount of sea fans, waving to visitors, which give the sensation of
being welcomed.
The Kantil Reef - a dive site which is for the intermediate to advanced
diver... this shelf dive is surrounded by gigantic boulders of brian,
star, leaf and sheet coral. Yellow tails, morays, grouper, manta and
eagle rays all make this an excellent subject for the photographer.
The Natural Bridge Dive - Majestic boulders rise from the depths of this
incredible dive site off the shoreline of the world-famous Natural
Bridge. See black and soft corals along with giant barrel sponges. This
dive is only for the most advanced diver due to strong currents and
rough waters.
All told there are some 23 documented reefs and ship wrecks directly off
the coast of Aruba.
No question - Aruba is the scuba dive mecca of the Caribbean. From the
depth range of twenty feet to that of one-hundred and ten feet of pure,
pure salt-water. Think it over ! We have.