The Antilla Shipwreck is one of the most popular snorkeling and dive sites in Aruba. And for good reason - how often do you have the chance to snorkel or dive around a shipwreck in warm clear waters?!
Lying offshore from Boca Catalina Beach, the Antilla was a German ship anchored offshore in Aruba when World War II led to Dutch marines attempting to storm the ship. Instead, the ship's captain opened the vessel's valves and sank the ship rather than surrendering it. Today the ship is settled with a maximum depth of about 55 feet below the water's surface, however the most shallow sections lie just below the surface and are often visible from above.
Tides and distance push the shipwreck just beyond swimming distance from the shore, so the best way to see the shipwreck is to sign up for a diving or snorkel tour. Being such a popular snorkel destination, several companies offer tours that visit the Antilla.
Our tour provider was the Jolly Pirates, which visited the Antilla, along with other snorkeling sites in an eye catching pirate ship. Our tour was family friendly and provided lunch in the form of BBQ and an unlimited open bar where the friendly crew were happy to keep cups full with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Tour guides provided a brief history of the different dive sites, along with pointing out areas of interest along the sailing route. Part of our reason for choosing the Jolly Pirates Tour was their Tarzan rope swing, where following the food and snorkeling, the crew anchors to give guests the chance to launch off of a rope swing into the warm Aruba waters.
The Antilla lies in an area frequented by the island's population of sea turtles, Parrot fish, colorful Angel fish and other species of marine life that make their home in and around the wreckage of the ship. Tour guides point the species of fish that snorkelers were seeing and would lead swimmers to where turtles were swimming, giving those onboard a chance to snorkel near them.
It's depth and clarity make the Antilla one of the most popular snorkel and dive locations in Aruba. Our experience was that the Jolly Pirates Snorkel Tour offered a fun and safe tour experience to snorkel at the Antilla site and who offered guests a chance to learn a bit about the shipwreck and the island in general. Their site can be found at http://jolly-pirates.com
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