SANTO TOME - Aruba Leeward Coast
The *Santo Tome* isn't Aruba's deepest wreck, sitting in just 10 metres of water, but it’s an accessible dive with a surprisingly dramatic past. This 111-metre motor vessel met its end in 1980, after a fire raged for ten days while she was discharging cargo. What you get today is a substantial wreck, broken up in places but still offering plenty to explore for divers who enjoy poking around nooks and crannies. We often see barracuda patrolling the larger sections and schools of snapper darting in and out of the holds. It’s a good spot for newer wreck divers or those looking for a longer bottom time without deep decompression worries.
- Location
- Aruba Leeward Coast, Aruba, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 11.664166, -70.225830
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 10m
Best Time to Dive in Aruba Leeward Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Aruba Leeward Coast occur in January, averaging 27.7°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.7°C (air: 26.7°C)
- February: 27.7°C (air: 26.5°C)
- March: 27.7°C (air: 26.8°C)
- April: 27.7°C (air: 27.5°C)
- May: 27.7°C (air: 28.0°C)
- June: 27.7°C (air: 28.4°C)
- July: 27.7°C (air: 28.4°C)
- August: 27.7°C (air: 28.9°C)
- September: 27.7°C (air: 29.5°C)
- October: 27.7°C (air: 29.0°C)
- November: 27.7°C (air: 27.7°C)
- December: 27.7°C (air: 27.4°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Aruba Leeward Coast
- Airplanes (Wreck) (cave)
- Airplanes (Wreck) (wreck)
- Antilla (Wreck) (wreck)
- Antilla (Wreck) (reef)
- Antilla Wreck - 5-18m (wreck)
- Arashi Reef - 5-15m (reef)
- Arashi (Wreck) (wreck)
- Arashi (Wreck) (reef)
- Aruba (wreck)
- Aruba (reef)
- Barcadera Reef (reef)
- Barcadera Reef (reef)
- Blue Reef / Debbie II (Wreck) (wreck)
- Blue Reef / Debbie II (Wreck) (wreck)
- BORBURATA - 22m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to SANTO TOME
- Aqua Windies
- Aruba Watersafety Institute - SSI
- Fly and Dive
- JADS Dive Center - ["PADI"]
- Nautilus Dive Center Aruba - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Aruba Leeward Coast
Home to 92 recorded species including 55 reef fish, 7 sea snails & nudibranchs, 7 hard corals, 6 crabs & lobsters, 4 other, 4 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Bay Whiff (Citharichthys spilopterus) - Reef Fish
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- killer alga (Caulerpa taxifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
- Yellowline Arrow Crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Hieroglyphic Cone (Conus hieroglyphus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Elegant Brittle Star (Ophiolepis elegans)
- Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) - Seagrass & Algae
- West Indian Alphabet Cone (Conus spurius) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Orca (Orcinus orca) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blackspot Grenadier (Coelorinchus caelorhincus) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic Midshipman (Porichthys plectrodon) - Reef Fish
- Common Atlantic Grenadier (Nezumia aequalis) - Reef Fish
- Sand Dollar (Clypeaster subdepressus) - Sea Urchins
- Pacific Spotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) - Reef Fish
- Eyed Flounder (Bothus ocellatus) - Reef Fish
- Shortnose batfish (Ogcocephalus nasutus) - Reef Fish
- Lesser Starlet Coral (Siderastrea radians) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for SANTO TOME
Based on average water temperature of 27.7°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories