The SS Antilla

The SS Antilla was a Hamburg America Line cargo ship launched in 1939. She operated in the Caribbean as a cargo ship for Nazi Germany. With a length of nearly 400 feet, beam of 55 feet, and a full load weight of 4,363 GRT (crew of 35) the Antilla was a decent sized merchant ship from that era. 

Just before the outbreak of war (in August of 1939) Nazi authorities directed the Antilla (if unable to reach a German port) to seek safety in a neutral harbor. She ultimately anchored in Malmok Bay on the northwest side of Aruba. There she wintered uneventfully. That is until Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. The Dutch government promptly ordered the seizure of Axis ships within Dutch ports. Early on the morning of May 10th Dutch Marines attempted to board the Antilla, but the Antilla's Captain refused to lower the gangway. The Dutch Marines temporarily retreated. 

The Dutch Marines decided to wait for daybreak (when covering fire from heavy weapons could assist what was planned to be a forced boarding). Nevertheless, the Antilla's captain had decided to scuttle the ship. Having set that process in motion, the German crew allowed themselves to be taken off the ship by the Dutch Marines when they returned a few hours later. Fires set by the German crew quickly spread. With the ship ablaze she began listing to port. The SS Antilla sank soon thereafter. 

Today the SS Antilla is one of the largest diveable shipwrecks in the Caribbean. She rests tilted on her port side at a maximum depth of 60 feet near the stern, and coming to within 20 feet of the surface at her bow. The ship is actually in two pieces, having been split in half by a storm in the 1950s. The SS Antilla is to this day a wonderful dive site. Something that I was able to enjoy on a recent trip to Aruba.

I have posted at You Tube unedited footage (taken with a Gro Pro Black Hero 11, backscatter rig, and dive lights) of my March 30, 2026 dive. The dive starts at the stern, travels up the starboard side, around the bow and then through the rest of the ship (there are multiple modest penetrations of the open cargo holds). You can view this footage here. Though quite a bit can be seen from above via snorkeling from a boat, scuba diving offers a superior experience and I thoroughly enjoyed my dive of the wreck SS Antilla.