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Divi Village Golf and...
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The fabulous Divi Village will rise above the white sand beach and sparkling blue waters to...
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Aruba: Search Dive Areas
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Oranjestad, South Aruba
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In the native language of Papiamento, "Bon Bini" means welcome. You wonder where? In a paradise by the name of Aruba…
Experience the beauty of white beaches gently sloping toward the calm transparent turquoise of the Caribbean with both carving high cliffs and deep, dark secret limestone grottoes. Or something completely different: A desert landscape where the cacti grow to the height of a man and great building-sized boulders are standing like the legacy of some ancient, angry god.
This is not the Caribbean as usual. This is Aruba! And if it is true that opposites attract, then this could well be the most attractive island of them all.
If you decide to dive the region around the capital Oranjestad you are definitively in for a treat. Aligned like the pearls on a necklace the complete south coast of the island is covered with sites awaiting to be explored. Starting at the south-western tip of the island is Harbor Reef, a great site for beginners. Commencing at a depth of 12 m (40 ft) this reef gradually drops down to 30 m (100 ft). The reef itself offers exciting slopes with an abundance of plant life and soft coral formations. Giant brain coral heads, with surrounding orange, black, and blue sponges. Keep your eyes open for sea horses which are common visitors.
The next pearl in line continuing eastwards is the Tugboat wreck. This site is very close to the previous site and it is considered to be one of the best dives in Aruba. Dropping gradually through magnificent formations of brain, star, and sheet coral, you arrive at the wreck of an old tugboat that now serves as home to a pair of green morays. Keep your eyes open for eagle and sting rays that occasionally visit the site and can then be seen very close by and be sure not to leave your camera in your hotel room as you will definitely regret it.
The next two pearls are yet again very close together and are situated just south of Oranjestad. The Sonesta Reef and the Sonesta Airplanes both offer amazing opportunities for underwater photography. Experience two airplanes, a Convair 400 and a Beech 18. While the Convair can be found at depths of 40-60 ft the Beech sits at about 15 ft. The coral reef the Beech sits in has a sandy bottom with a wide range of brain corals and slowly descends to a depth of 100 ft.
Barcadera Reef is the next pearl in line waiting to be explored. Barcadera is a very dense reef with large coral formations. Next to the numerous brain corals you will find an abundance of huge sea fans in the shallows. But there is more to this site than its excellent coral formations. What the site may lack in wreck diving opportunities it makes up with another feature. Barcadera Reef is one of two sites in Aruba where one gets the chance to spot mantas, the other being Pos Chiquito
Tugged between Barcadera Reef and Pos Chiquito lies the Jane Sea wreck. This 76 m (250 ft) long cement freighter sits nearly upright on the bottom at a depth of 27 m (90 ft). Surrounded by beautiful coral formations such as brain, mountain, star and deep water gorgonians you will find lots of angelfish and schooling tropical fish in and around the wreck. There are several spots to enter the wreck but the largest compartment – the cargo – is accessed from the top. The rest of the penetration area should only be accessed by experienced divers as it is quite small.
A bit further away from the other sites is The Finger, a site that is definitively worth a visit. This fascinating reef comes out like a finger pointing down to the deep water, hence its name. Beautiful coral formations and sea fans surround the Finger. What makes this site stick out from the other coral formations is the fact that the finger is commonly visited by turtles. If you decide to dive the Finger, be aware of the currents that can exist here.
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