The Antilla is a 400-foot German freighter that lies about 60 feet down off Malmok Beach, and it is shallow enough that snorkelers can see the hull from the surface while divers can explore the interior (Aruba Tourism Authority and VisitAruba, read 7 November 2026). VisitAruba calls it the largest shipwreck dive in the Caribbean, and a snorkel sail from Palm Beach is the easiest way to see it.
Highlights
The hull and the smokestacks
Much of the ship is still intact, including its smokestacks and hull details, and it is covered in tube sponges, coral and orange anemones, with tropical fish, shrimp and lobsters around it.
The pelicans
Pelicans often rest on the wreck and feed on silversides.
Inside the wreck
Divers can explore the porthole, deck fittings and interior sections.
The story
The M.S. Antilla was built in 1939 in Hamburg for the German line HAPAG. In May 1940, while the ship was in Aruban waters, Germany invaded the Netherlands. Dutch marines tried to seize the ship, but its captain ordered the crew to open the valves and set it on fire, and it sank before the marines could stop it. A dive inspection in 1940 found the hull undamaged and in one piece; the breakup came later, from heavy swells.
Practical info
Tips
- Three ways to see it. By boat: the Red Sail Antilla snorkel sail leaves the Red Sail pier on Palm Beach (between the Hyatt Regency and Barceló) for 3 hours, $79 for adults and $63 for children aged 5 to 11, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 pm, with an open bar, snacks and snorkel gear, and a second stop at Catalina Bay (VisitAruba, read 7 November 2026). The Pelican Adventures cruise makes two stops, at Boca Catalina and the Antilla (2.5 hours, 2:00 to 4:30 pm, snorkel gear and drinks included). The afternoon sailing trip with snorkeling and open bar from Noord is rated 4.8 out of 5 from 398 reviews on GetYourGuide. By submarine boat: the Seaworld Explorer semi-submarine, which stays above sea level with its hull about 5 feet below the surface, leaves De Palm Pier at 11:30 am and 1:00 pm for 1 hour 30 minutes, with views of the wreck. By diving: guided dives are run by local operators such as Pure Diving Aruba, JADS Dive Center, Happy Divers Aruba and S.E. Aruba Fly 'N Dive. More boat options are in snorkeling tours in Aruba and catamaran cruises; the nearby cove is described on the Boca Catalina page.
How to get there
The wreck lies off Malmok Beach and is reached by boat from the Palm Beach piers (see getting around Aruba). Bring an underwater camera if you want photos, as the tourism board suggests.
Opening hours
Nearby
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