ARACATACA

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Beachy Head West

Why dive here

With 176+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - ARACATACA offers some of Cornwall & Devon's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 10-18°C, warmest July, August, September.

Best timeJul–Sep

WetsuitA 5mm wetsuit

Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 176+ species recorded

Water10-18°C · warmest July, August, September

CharacterWreck dive · max 51m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

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.

Typical ARACATACA Dive Profile

Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.

Safety Notes

Maximum depth 51m exceeds recreational limits (40m). Technical diving certification and equipment required.

Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.

Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.

Today06:1617:1811h 2m daylightGolden hour 16:34

ARACATACA Wreck History

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.