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Diving anywhere in the world is an exhilarating and invigorating experience, but for those with 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 from northwestern Venezuela.
Aruba’s main draw is undoubtedly the wreck of the German cargo ship The Antilla, which is 400 feet long and was deliberately scuttled by its captain at the start of World War II, to keep it out of Allied hands. She rests at a 45-degree angle, in about 60 feet of water, about 1 mile off Eagle Beach in the northwest of the island. Divers will be amazed at the amount of marine life above and below the boat, with creatures such as yellowtails, angelfish, lobsters and eels making frequent appearances.
However, there are many more fascinating shipwrecks scattered around the island, each with its own story, all brought to life for the keen diver. The Vera is a freighter that sank in 1954, and claims were that her cargo contained gold and valuables from Nazi Germany. These are the kind of treasures that draw the diver in and it becomes something of an obsession, with the need to explore completely dominating.
Other shipwrecks around the island include: Captain Roger, an old tugboat found off the coast at the Seroe Colorado end of Aruba; Jane C, a 250-foot English cement freighter, which can be located just outside the coral reef, west of Palm Island; and possibly the second most famous shipwreck after the Antilla, the centerpiece of the oil tanker Pedernales, which sank after a torpedo attack.
Two more recent wrecks attracting 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 unserviceable she sank and is now a home to lobsters, turtles and beautiful anemones, making for an amazing dive. The Star Gerran was a 200 foot tanker that was actually sunk by the Aruba Water Sports Association. Holes have been cut in the side of the ship to allow divers to penetrate the structure and enjoy the marine life that has taken up residence, including spider crabs and the amazing goatfish.
As for the equipment used, diving equipment is often a bit surprising, nothing more than its large volume. Some are more technical than others, but each has their own role to play in the safety of any dive. The mask, snorkel, fins, light, knife, digital camera, and whistle are 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 controls depths and time limits, plus the weight system that allows descent at the desired speed, together with the exposure suit, which retains essential heat. Everything has its own purpose, and as a built-in set, it will give a diver all the necessary tools and protection to go do an activity that is growing in popularity at a dizzying rate.