Malmok Beach Snorkeling

Malmok Beach snorkeling, in short

Malmok Beach snorkeling is the best shore dive in Aruba for spotted eagle rays. The beach sits at the north end of the resort strip, on Palm Beach Road. Visibility runs 15 to 30 metres. In the dry season it reaches the top of that range, which is better than anywhere else on the island.

The rays feed at dawn and at dusk. So the useful window is early, between six and seven in the morning. Nurse sharks also rest under the coral overhangs here. They are calm animals, and they stay calm as long as you keep your distance.

The Antilla wreck

The MV Antilla lies offshore. She was a 122-metre German cargo ship, and her own crew scuttled her on 10 May 1940. She now sits in 18 to 27 metres of water. As a result she is the largest accessible wreck in the Caribbean.

In clear conditions the top of her superstructure comes within four or five metres of the surface. Eighty-five years of growth have covered the hull. Coral, orange tube sponges and purple sea fans cover the plating. Grouper, barracuda and schools of jacks work around it.

Be clear about what the shore gives you, though. From the beach you see a fraction of her. Seeing the Antilla properly means a boat trip, and that one is worth the money.

Getting in

Entry is over a rocky limestone shelf. There is a ladder. Parking is on the roadside along Palm Beach Road, and it fills up by mid-morning.

Use a surface marker buoy. This is working boat water, because the tour catamarans run through it all day. A snorkeler face-down without a float is very hard to see from a helm.

Where to go instead of Malmok Beach snorkeling

If the wind is up, try Mangel Halto on the south coast. For turtles, go to Boca Catalina instead. Boat trips that reach the Antilla are listed under snorkeling tours. General island information is on the Aruba Tourism Authority site.