Diving in Aruba: The Wrecks
Diving anywhere in the world is an exhilarating and exhilarating experience, but for those who have a fascination with shipwrecks, one of the best, if not the best place to visit, is the small Caribbean island of Aruba, located just a few miles away. from northwestern Venezuela.
Without a doubt, Aruba’s biggest draw is the wreck of the German freighter The Antilla, which is 400 feet long and was deliberately sunk by its captain at the start of World War II, to keep it out of Allied hands. It rests at a 45-degree angle, in around 60 feet of water, about 1 mile from Eagle Beach in the northwest of the island. Divers will be in awe of the volume of marine life on and below the boat, with creatures such as yellowtail, angelfish, lobsters and eels making frequent appearances.
However, there are many more fascinating shipwrecks scattered around the island, each with its own story, all coming to life for the enthusiastic diver. The Vera is a freighter that sank in 1954, and claims were that its cargo contained gold and valuables from Nazi Germany. These are the kind of treasures that attract the diver and it becomes something of an obsession, with the need to fully explore.
Other shipwrecks around the island include: Captain Roger, an old tugboat found off the coast at the Seroe Colorado tip of Aruba; Jane C, a 250-foot English cement freighter, which can be located on the outskirts of the coral reef, west of Palm Island; and possibly the second most famous shipwreck after the Antilla, the centerpiece of the Pedernales oil tanker, which sank after a torpedo attack.
Two more recent shipwrecks that attract the diving fraternity are the Rum Runner and the Star Gerren. The Runner was an old wooden Danish fishing boat, which had been converted for tourist cruises, but when it became unusable it sank and is now a home to lobsters, turtles and beautiful anemones, making for a spectacular dive. The Star Gerran was a 200 foot oil tanker that was actually sunk by the Aruba Watersports Association. Holes have been drilled in the side of the ship to allow divers to penetrate the structure and enjoy the marine life that has settled in, including spider crabs and amazing goatfish.
As for the equipment used, scuba gear is often a surprise, for nothing more than its sheer volume. Some are more technical than others, but each has its own role to play in the safety of any dive. The mask, snorkel, fins, light, knife, digital camera, and whistle are all self explanatory. The scuba unit, which basically allows you to breathe underwater, comes with a regulator, tank and a buoyancy control device, and is obviously the centerpiece of the kit. There is also the dive computer that monitors depths and time limits, plus the ballast system that allows descent at the desired speed, along with the exposure suit, which retains essential heat. Everything has its own purpose, and as a cumulative set, it will give the diver all the tools and protection necessary to go and do an activity that is growing in popularity at a breakneck rate.