ARACATACA - Cornwall & Devon

The Aracataca is a proper deep dive, sitting at 51 metres, so it’s one for the experienced trimix crowd. This banana boat, lost in a collision back in 1917, is surprisingly intact for its age and depth. We love the scale of it; at 114 metres long, you could spend multiple dives just mapping out its different sections. Our favourite part has to be the stern, where the prop shaft alley offers a real sense of its operational past, now draped in dead man’s fingers and home to some hefty conger eels. Visibility here can be hit or miss, typical for the English Channel, so picking a slack tide and a settled weather window is crucial. When it’s good, though, the sheer size of the Aracataca emerging from the gloom is genuinely impressive. It’s a challenging dive, but the rewards are in exploring a genuine piece of maritime history, now a vibrant artificial reef.

Location
Cornwall & Devon, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
50.602000, 0.030333
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
51m

Wreck History - ARACATACA

Year Sunk
1917
Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
collision
Tonnage
4,154 GRT

The SS Aracataca was a British refrigerated cargo ship, one of the famous 'banana boats' operated by Elders & Fyffes. Built in 1911 by the renowned Workman, Clark and Company in Belfast, she was designed for the fast and reliable transport of fruit from the Caribbean and Central America to the United Kingdom. With a gross tonnage of 4,154, she was a modern and capable vessel for her time, plying the vital trade routes that kept Britain supplied.

Her career was cut short during the height of the First World War. On April 18th, 1917, while sailing in ballast from Liverpool to Port Limon, Costa Rica, she was navigating the treacherous waters off the Cornish coast. Under the strict wartime conditions of reduced lighting to avoid U-boat attacks, she tragically collided with the Belgian steamship SS Moliere. The damage was catastrophic, and the Aracataca sank quickly, coming to rest on the seabed 12 miles off Trevose Head.

Today, the Aracataca is a classic deep wreck dive for experienced technical divers. Lying upright on the sand at a depth of 51 meters, she remains remarkably intact. The sheer size of the vessel is impressive, and divers can explore the large superstructure, open holds, and deck machinery. The wreck is often swept by strong currents and visibility can be challenging, but on a clear day, it is a truly spectacular dive that offers a powerful connection to the maritime history of WWI.

Marine Protected Area: Beachy Head West

Best Time to Dive in Cornwall & Devon

The warmest water temperatures in Cornwall & Devon occur in January, averaging 9.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 9.6°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 9.6°C (air: 7.3°C)
  • February: 9.6°C (air: 8.4°C)
  • March: 9.6°C (air: 8.6°C)
  • April: 9.6°C (air: 10.1°C)
  • May: 9.6°C (air: 12.6°C)
  • June: 9.6°C (air: 15.2°C)
  • July: 9.6°C (air: 16.6°C)
  • August: 9.6°C (air: 17.1°C)
  • September: 9.6°C (air: 15.9°C)
  • October: 9.6°C (air: 13.5°C)
  • November: 9.6°C (air: 10.7°C)
  • December: 9.6°C (air: 8.7°C)

Nearby Dive Sites in Cornwall & Devon

Nearest Dive Centres to ARACATACA

Marine Life in Cornwall & Devon

Home to 192 recorded species including 93 reef fish, 18 sharks & rays, 13 whales & dolphins, 11 crabs & lobsters, 11 other, 10 seagrass & algae.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for ARACATACA

Based on average water temperature of 9.6°C.

  • Drysuit - water at 10°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
  • Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
  • 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