Aruba - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 90

experienced divers should attempt the descent due to very strong currents
and rough seas. Photographers who do make the 30- to 45-foot dive return
with colorful shots of sponges, anemones, and large corals. Shark are
sometimes seen in the area, but grouper and barracuda are more common.
Beginning divers find safe, calm seas around the northern tip of the island
at Arashi Beach. Here, a twin-engine Beechcraft known as the Arashi
Airplane sits in about 30 feet of water. The small plane once had the com-
pany of a Lockheed Lodestar, but that aircraft has deteriorated over the
years. Brain corals and sea fans grow around the algae-encrusted fuse-
lage, making it a popular hangout for hungry grunts, sergeant majors, and
goatfish. Schools of colorful angelfish and round-faced pufferfish congre-
gate in and around the cockpit, where eels take refuge during the day.
Near Oranjestad and the outer Sonesta and De Palm islands, several reefs
and wrecks draw divers to depths of 40 to 90 feet. Harbour Reef and the
nearby Tugboat wreck are directly out from the city's Seaport Casino. The
water is typically calm here, and beginners can see a lot of color at shallow
depths. Experienced divers can continue down the slope to look for rare
eagle rays, stingrays, and seahorses. The old tugboat is overgrown with
lovely coral and sponges, and colorful feeding fish create a rainbow of color
around the hull.
Snorkelers can see plenty of fish around the disintegrated body of a
sunken Beechcraft airplane near Sonesta Island . The water is nor-
mally calm in this area, and elkhorn, staghorn and fan corals grow among
scattered pieces of the aircraft about 15 feet below. At around 40 feet,
divers explore a still-intact Convair-400 . Like the Beechcraft, it once
belonged to drug runners. Now, curious divers explore its door-less cockpit
and photograph the coral and algae encrusted propellers, which are still
attached to the engines. Non-divers may get a look at the wreck through
the windows of the Atlantis VI submarine.
South of the airplanes, four reefs provide excellent dive sites at various
depths and with diverse conditions. Sponge Reef is perhaps the most col-
orful of all the reefs. Orange elephant ear sponges stand out against purple
and yellow tubs sponges and turquoise vase sponges. Bring an underwater
camera. Barcadera Reef ' s healthy corals can be viewed from depths of 20
to 80 feet, making it a versatile dive for a snorkel-dive group with mixed
skills. Fish in the area include parrots, puffers, angels and the occasional
barracuda. Waving sea fans on the sandy bottom create an undulating fan-
tasy land.
Kantil Reef drops from 40 to 110 feet. Descend down the wall viewing
huge brain and star corals, large gorgonian sea fans, and a variety of sea
creatures, including eagle and manta rays. Skalahein Reef begins shal-
low, at about 15 feet, then slopes gently to 120 feet. Bring your camera to
capture shots of barracuda with a backdrop of large brain and star corals.
Lucky divers may spot seahorses.