Introduction - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 18

Wrecks
Aruba comes in third among the ABCs as an
underwater destination, but numerous sunken
ships have earned it the title Wreck Capital of
the Caribbean. The German freighter Antilla ,
off the northwestern coast, is the largest wreck
in the Caribbean, while the nearby Arashi Air-
plane wreck is popular with both novice and
experienced divers.
Conch
One of the most popular shelled crea-
tures in the Caribbean is the conch
(pronounced konk). Its meat is the
key ingredient in many island reci-
pes, and collectors covet the large
shells, which have a pearly pink inte-
rior and echo the sound of ocean
waves. It's not unusual to see island-
ers cleaning and selling the more perfect shells near busy piers.
Talk the Talk
Snorkel and dive information throughout this topic often refers to marine
life that may be unfamiliar to novice underwater explorers. The best fix is
a good book with lots of pictures identifying various common fish and
plants that inhabit the Southern Caribbean Sea. Next best is a good imagi-
nation and the following brief descriptions:
Anemones (say ah-nem-oh-knees) stick to reefs and have ten-
tacles that protrude from cracks and coral heads (like flexible,
round-tipped tubes). They retract if touched. Anemones come
in several varieties and colors.
Fire coral is unlike other varieties of coral and is recognized
by its drab beige color. It often grows upright like misshaped
dinner plates or flattened boxes, and it stings, so don't touch it.
(Remember that you are prohibited from touching anything in
a protected marine park, and you shouldn't touch living plants
and animals anywhere in the sea.)
Stinging hydroids are similar to fire coral and grow on things
that divers often touch, such as chains that have been in the
water a long time, the sides of wrecked ships, and inside cav-
erns. Recognize them by their black ruffled shape. Don't touch.
They give an electric-like sting that can cause large blisters.