The Antilla Wreck: Everything You Need to Know

By a local at Aruba Adventure Guide · born and raised on Aruba

★Written by someone born and raised on Aruba who has done many of these tours, not a generic AI summary.

The short answer: the Antilla is a 400-foot German freighter scuttled off Aruba’s coast in 1940, sitting in shallow enough water (roughly 60 feet at its deepest point) to be accessible to both snorkelers and open-water certified divers — not just advanced divers.

A local’s take

I’ve snorkelled the Antilla myself. The easiest way to see it is on a catamaran snorkel tour that stops at the wreck, rather than trying to get there on your own.

Go in the morning. And know that it’s deep water: if you’re not a strong swimmer, wear a life vest or snorkel vest.

How did the Antilla end up sinking off Aruba?

Short answer: its own crew sank it on purpose. The Antilla, a German cargo ship, had been sitting at anchor off Aruba since World War II began. On 10 May 1940, the day Germany invaded the Netherlands, Dutch forces moved to seize it, and the captain had the ship scuttled (deliberately sunk) rather than hand it over. That is why it is so intact today: it was never torpedoed or wrecked in a storm.

Today the Antilla lies off the northwest coast near Malmok, about 60 feet down at its deepest, and it is one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean you can see on a snorkel trip.

Snorkeling vs. diving the Antilla

Snorkelers can see large sections of the wreck from the surface on a calm day, since parts sit close enough to the surface. Divers get the fuller picture — swimming through open cargo holds and seeing the marine life that’s made the wreck home over the decades.

Format	What You’ll See	Best For
Snorkel tour	Large visible sections from the surface, no certification needed	Beginners, families
Open-water dive	Full wreck access, cargo holds, resident marine life	Certified divers
Resort/intro dive course	A guided first dive experience if you’re not yet certified	First-timers wanting to try diving

What nobody tells you upfront

Not every “snorkel tour” that mentions the Antilla actually stops there long enough to see it properly — some cruises just pass near it. Confirm the itinerary names a dedicated Antilla stop before booking if seeing the wreck is your main goal.

How to plan it

Book a catamaran snorkel tour that names a stop at the Antilla. That is the simplest way for non-divers to see it.
Pick a morning trip. The afternoon sun is very hot out on the water.
Not a strong swimmer? Wear a vest. The water over the wreck is deep.
Want the full wreck? Book a dive with a dive shop (open-water certified), or a guided intro dive if you are not certified yet.