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A green moray eel peers from a sandy hollow under a reddish coral ledge while a pink fish with a yellow-edged tail swims past — Aruba.

Aruba · Aruba · Wreck · Artificial reef

Debbie II

A sunken fuel barge lying right alongside Malmok reef

Area photo: Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA · CC BY 2.0

The Debbie II is a 37 m (120 ft) fuel barge sunk as an artificial reef in 1992 beside Malmok reef, close to the Antilla. With its bottom at 24 m it is the deeper of the two wrecks, and corals and sponges grow round its bow and along its railings.

Also known as Blue Reef / Debbie II.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Debbie II: typical dive to 24 m (to 80 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit24 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

12.5998° N, 70.0541° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The barge sits on the bottom at 24 m next to Malmok reef. A shoal of grunts gathers at the foot of the forward mast, and sponges grow round the bow and on the railings. Pipework runs along the centre-line to a deckhouse at the stern, where a lionfish can turn up on the deck. Because the wreck lies directly beside the reef, divers with time left over can leave the hull and carry on along the reef before ascending.

The wreck

Vessel
Debbie II
Type
Fuel barge
Length
37 m (121 ft)
Sunk
1992
Cause
Sunk deliberately as an artificial reef
Lies
On the bottom at 24 m, alongside Malmok reef

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Debbie II
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood

Season follows Aruba: Diving runs year-round, and the island sits south of the hurricane belt, so no month stands out as a peak.

Dive videos

"Blue Reef" and "Debbie II" Shipwreck Dive Aruba September, 2016 · RunFlyDive on YouTube

Sources

  1. Aruba – Isle of wrecks — Divernet
  2. Blue Reef / Debbie II (Wreck) — ScubaGo

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