The Antilla Shipwreck
Only the 600-foot (180 m) cruise liners Bianca C. and Antilles are bigger shipwrecks in the Caribbean than Antilla. Antilla stands in up to 60 feet (18 meters) of water on its port side in Malmok Bay, Aruba, with a little portion of its starboard side exposed above water. Storm damage had split the ship in half amidships by 1953.
The wreck has been inhabited by corals and tube sponges, attracting lobsters, hawksbill sea turtles, and a variety of fish, including moray eels and blue tang. A big Atlantic goliath grouper was discovered in the front area in 2010. Antilla is a famous diving destination, especially for penetration diving. The wreck has continued to be broken up by storms, and some divers believe it is now unsafe to enter.
The Antilla Shipwreck is one of the Caribbean's largest shipwrecks and one of the most famous historical sites in Aruba. When Germany invaded Holland in 1940, the German cargo ship SS Antilla was purposely destroyed in Aruba. The 121-meter-long (400-foot-long) wreck is mainly intact and can be examined during an interesting dive. Snorkelers can get an amazing view of the wreck by hovering above it, while scuba divers can see the stern of the boat at 18 meters (60 feet) below the surface. Hundreds of tropical fish rush amongst the brilliant coral formations, sponges, and anemones that cover the wreck as you watch it from below.
Location: Opal 58, Noord, Aruba
