Pedernalis
Pedernalis
4
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Divers can explore the large remnants of a 35-foot oil tanker that was torpedoed during World War II by a German submarine.
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4.0
54 reviews
Excellent
19
Very good
19
Average
15
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Kittalyn
New York City, NY152 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
Dove this sight a number of times last week but by the the best dive was the night dive with Palm Beach Divers Aruba! We saw 11 sea turtles and some slipper lobsters as well as the regular night sea life! Incredible.
Shallow dive, only 7.3m or 25 feet. You can go back again and again and see new things. Saw a lot of octopuses over the week I was diving in Aruba, including at this site! A first for me.
Easy to do if you’re a beginner but excellent as well if you’re experienced.
Shallow dive, only 7.3m or 25 feet. You can go back again and again and see new things. Saw a lot of octopuses over the week I was diving in Aruba, including at this site! A first for me.
Easy to do if you’re a beginner but excellent as well if you’re experienced.
Written 14 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ruusta
Branford, CT103 contributions
Oct 2021
We stopped here on the way back from diving the Antilla. Was kind of boring. 25 feet of water, lots of debris from bombed boats. good marine life. Would not dive here again if other options were presented.
Written 12 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JumeirahJenny
Columbus, OH638 contributions
Jul 2012 • Couples
The Pedernalis is a nice, shallow wreck dive – especially for beginners. Dive depth is around 25 feet with great visibility. The wreck is spread out and very easy to see. While diving there, I saw lionfish, pufferfish, eels, and lots of schools. I would definitely recommend this dive for beginners.
Written 14 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LOTRfan
Jessup, MD344 contributions
This wreck was the second of two dives I did on March 11, 2008 with Red Sail Sports while on a cruise in the Caribbean with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. My first dive was on the Antilla (see my review about that wreck).
On our way to the Pedernales, Ton Jutte told us about this wreck. The story goes that 2 German submarines were in the area one night. The first German submarine launched an attack on 1 of a number of ships at anchor off Aruba. Unfortunately, the crew didn't take the cap off the arming pin of their torpedo so when it hit the ship, it didn't explode. That torpedo however tipped off the various ships that a German sub was in the area. They all weighed anchor immediately and ran for it. Unfortunately for the Pedernales, it ran head long into the path of the second German submarine. The crew on the second sub was more competent i.e. they took the cap off the arming pin on their torpedo. The Pedernales was sunk in shallow water just off one of the beaches in Aruba. Hotel owners apparently didn't like having a wreck in plain site of their beach resorts and asked Dutch authorities if they could do something about it. They said sure! They proceeded to blow the wreck to bits. You'll find pieces of this wreck scattered all over the sea floor.
If you want to find an intact wreck, this isn't it. It is an easy shallow dive. Maximum dive depth on this dive was 21 feet and visibility was 35 feet plus. This would be a good wreck for beginner scuba divers.
Overall, I enjoyed diving this wreck though it isn't as impressive as the Antilla. Red Sail Sports did a great job again of running the dive. Thanks to the shallow depth, I was able to rack up 41 minutes of bottom time and I still had plenty of air left in my tank when I surfaced.
On our way to the Pedernales, Ton Jutte told us about this wreck. The story goes that 2 German submarines were in the area one night. The first German submarine launched an attack on 1 of a number of ships at anchor off Aruba. Unfortunately, the crew didn't take the cap off the arming pin of their torpedo so when it hit the ship, it didn't explode. That torpedo however tipped off the various ships that a German sub was in the area. They all weighed anchor immediately and ran for it. Unfortunately for the Pedernales, it ran head long into the path of the second German submarine. The crew on the second sub was more competent i.e. they took the cap off the arming pin on their torpedo. The Pedernales was sunk in shallow water just off one of the beaches in Aruba. Hotel owners apparently didn't like having a wreck in plain site of their beach resorts and asked Dutch authorities if they could do something about it. They said sure! They proceeded to blow the wreck to bits. You'll find pieces of this wreck scattered all over the sea floor.
If you want to find an intact wreck, this isn't it. It is an easy shallow dive. Maximum dive depth on this dive was 21 feet and visibility was 35 feet plus. This would be a good wreck for beginner scuba divers.
Overall, I enjoyed diving this wreck though it isn't as impressive as the Antilla. Red Sail Sports did a great job again of running the dive. Thanks to the shallow depth, I was able to rack up 41 minutes of bottom time and I still had plenty of air left in my tank when I surfaced.
Written 13 April 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
darstar1
columbus, OH90 contributions
Jul 2021
Visited this for second dive of two tank trip. Was not planned, but currents were strong that day. Only about 25' deep, but amazing views.
Written 29 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roger J Muller, Jr.
Hoboken, NJ143 contributions
Feb 2019 • Family
I recently dove the Pedernalis with Unique Dive in Aruba. The dive site was really close to the beach and it was a very short ride by boat to the wreck. Once we descended into the water a short distance of 25 feet, there was pieces of the Pedernalis laying on the bottom of the ocean. It was an interesting formation of parts and I totally enjoyed the dive.
Being a PADI instructor with 112 certifications, I found this site to be easily accessible , fun to dive and there are tons of fish and wild life on the wreck. I highly recommend this dive for any divers new or experienced. I took a video while I was diving and have it on Youtube. Everyone who has seen it thinks it is really beautiful and they were amazed how many fish I filmed.
Get out there and do one of the easiest and most enjoyable dives in Aruba the Perdinalis!
Being a PADI instructor with 112 certifications, I found this site to be easily accessible , fun to dive and there are tons of fish and wild life on the wreck. I highly recommend this dive for any divers new or experienced. I took a video while I was diving and have it on Youtube. Everyone who has seen it thinks it is really beautiful and they were amazed how many fish I filmed.
Get out there and do one of the easiest and most enjoyable dives in Aruba the Perdinalis!
Written 3 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pdoti2019
São Paulo, Brasil34 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
Did my first wreck dive, and it ended up being my first night dive ever as well. We went with Aruba Sports. It was a packed boat, with one guide for about 8-10 divers with diverse skills.
We saw about 4-5 turtles, couple of eels as well. Very impressive, and easy night dive.
We saw about 4-5 turtles, couple of eels as well. Very impressive, and easy night dive.
Written 6 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mar 2012 • Couples
The Pedernalis is located in water that is not too deep to snorkel or dive to. It is an interesting experience to do either and we would encourage anyone to o so. It is an easy ship to get to and has an interesting history. There are not a lot of things o do in ARUBA and this is definitely one that should be done.
Written 26 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
49skeeter49
Philadelphia107 contributions
Jul 2012 • Family
This wreck sits in relatively shallow water. Did a morning dive here. Some very large fish and decent variety of fish. A couple of lobsters hanging around under the vessel. Excellent spot to refresh your diving skills after a long layoff. Decent visability, mild currents.
Written 29 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
must_travel_soon_10
Mississauga, Canada1,801 contributions
The wreck is awash and surrounded by sandy bottom. So there are remanants, but basically a reef dive
Written 26 February 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there any reefs close to the rim hotels
Written 28 November 2018
Are there any reefs close to the rim hotels
Written 28 November 2018
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