Diving the wreckage of the Sonesta planes in Aruba

Diving the wreckage of the Sonesta planes in Aruba

Diving the wreckage of the Sonesta planes in Aruba was scary and surreal, but ultimately exhilarating

I'm hopeless at identifying fish. My memory is terrible and I don't like diving with a fish ID board - it just becomes a piece of clutter added to the essentials (pressure gauge, regulator, dive computer and my camera). Therefore, unless it is a lionfish, a grouper, a clownfish, a whale, a dolphin, or a shark, it is unlikely that I will be able to identify it.

If I'm honest, it doesn't really bother me. When it comes to diving, I'm more interested in seeing or trying something new or unique, unless it's a truly amazing reef system (such as our dives on the Great Barrier Reef), like our recent wall dive in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

For example, I loved our wreck dive in Djibouti and diving with sharks in the Galápagos. When we saw the opportunity to dive a plane wreck in Aruba during our 11-day cruise from Charleston, we jumped on it.

The two planes known as Sonesta Airplanes, a Convair 240 (or a DC-3; that's debatable) and a YS-11 are off the coast of Aruba and were intentionally sunk to create an artificial reef for divers.

We booked a two-tank dive with SE Aruba Fly N Dive, a local company right on the beach in Oranjestad, the capital of the Dutch island of Aruba. It turned out to be one of the most surreal dives we've ever done.

After meeting at the dive shop and putting on our wetsuits and fins, we headed out to sea for a few minutes to prepare for our first dive. It had been a while since Kia and I had dived (the last time was Steve's Bommie in Australia) but we quickly reacquainted ourselves and after the usual safety checks we were back in the sea, descending to the seabed on the way to our first site.

We soon came across the first signs of rubble. The Convair hull is split in two, with several smaller pieces of wreckage scattered across the sandy bottom of Sonesta Reef.

• alt=“ein Propeller, der beim Tauchen der Sonesta-Flugzeugwracks in Aruba gesehen wurde“>
• alt=“Die Schwanzflosse, die zum ersten Mal beim Tauchen in den Flugzeugwracks von Sonesta auf Aruba zu sehen war“>
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• alt=“Der Flügel eines der Flugzeuge, die beim Tauchen vor den Wracks des Sonesta-Flugzeugs auf Aruba zu sehen waren“>

The different parts of the Convair aircraft

First a tail fin emerged, followed by a propeller, an engine, a wing, and then most of the fuselage: a cavernous shell split in two for divers to explore up close.

The Convair itself is an impressive place, but it's the YS-11 that really took our breath away. This old passenger plane still has an intact fuselage that divers can easily swim through.

When the wreckage came into view it was really hard to comprehend. Diving is surreal enough - it physically takes us out of our world and transports us to another where complacency is deadly - but to find a machine of heaven resting silently and serenely at the bottom of the ocean is simply astonishing.

alt="the main hull of diving the Sonesta plane wrecks in Aruba">Atlas & BootsOur first look at the YS-11

We swam the width of the fuselage through the doors just behind the cockpit before circling the entire plane. Then we dived back into the hull and swam the entire length, from the rear doors to the front - a thoroughly surreal experience.

After a few final minutes of exploring the wreckage, we made our way back to the surface. Our second dive was at the picturesque Garden Reef, but actually the Sonesta plane wrecks were the highlight of our trip.

Our Caribbean cruise had 11 idyllic days of swimming, snorkeling, and lounging on pristine beaches, but drifting through the chamber of the YS-11 aircraft, with its sharp carpet of barnacles and eerie underwater light, provided the best moment of the entire trip.

• alt=“Tauchen an den Wracks der Sonesta-Flugzeuge auf Aruba“>
• alt=“Die Rückseite des Rumpfes, gesehen beim Tauchen der Sonesta-Flugzeugwracks in Aruba“>
• alt=“Tauchen an den Wracks der Sonesta-Flugzeuge auf Aruba“>
• alt=“Peter beim Tauchen der Sonesta-Flugzeugwracks auf Aruba“>
• alt=“Peter & Kia beim Tauchen an den Flugzeugwracks von Sonesta auf Aruba“>
• alt=“Garden Reef, unser zweiter Tauchgang nach den Flugzeugwracks von Sonesta auf Aruba“>
• alt=“Unser zweiter Tauchgang beim Tauchen der Flugzeugwracks von Sonesta in Aruba“>
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Diving the wrecks of the Sonesta planes in Aruba: the most important thing

What: Dive to the wrecks of the Sonesta planes in Aruba on an 11-day Carnival cruise from Charleston, stopping at St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Bonaire, Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Princess Cays in the Bahamas.

If you have time for more diving, check out our guide to the best dive sites in Aruba according to divemasters.

Where: We stayed in a balcony stateroom on board the Carnival Sunshine. Our room was spacious and comfortable, and the balcony was worth checking out.

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• alt=“Auf dem Weg zu einem der besten Tauchplätze Arubas“>
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The ship itself is equipped with countless dining and entertainment options. For daytime dining we liked BlueIguana Cantina and Pizzeria del Capitano. For dinner, we recommend paying the small extra charge to dine at least once at each of the specialty restaurants (Steakhouse, JiJi Asian Kitchen and Cucina del Capitano).

When: Diving at the Sonesta Plane Wrecks in Aruba is possible all year round. Visit between December and April for the best weather: hot, sunny and dry with low humidity and balmy nights.

How: We booked our dive with local experts SE Aruba Fly N Dive, who talked us through our options and helped us choose the best dive site based on our short time in Aruba. Our divemaster was knowledgeable and professional and helped make the dive one of the best we have ever done.

We booked our Caribbean cruise with Carnival. Prices start at $1,579 per person for a balcony stateroom and include accommodation, all meals, a selection of non-alcoholic beverages and entertainment.

We use our Keepgo International Wifi Hotspot to help us get online while traveling. The device generates a secure WiFi connection over local 4G mobile networks in over 120 countries. Use this referral link to get 10% off any Keepgo product.

We flew to Charleston via New York, but as of January 2020 there are direct flights from the UK. Book via Skyscanner for the best prices.

Finally, if you plan on snorkeling in Aruba (and you really should), you should pack a full-face snorkel mask. We use and recommend Aria QR+ from Ocean Reef.

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Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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