California Wreck / Aruba

[PePaw]

My wife would really like to dive on the California when we return to Aruba this year. ( She's intersted in the history, Titanic connection etc.) It's listed as a dive site but I can't find a Dive Op that has it on their schedule.
Anybody know anyone who dives it ?
Anybody have any reviews or opinions ?

Thanks !

 

[irie1029]

Way beyond my ability ... wrong side of the island.

If you do not get a reply I will be going in March and will ask JP at Jads he may know someone. Would only imagine one mighty strong current.

 

[Stichus III]

The wreck of the California has no connection at all with the Titanic. If I'm not mistaken the California even sank before the Titanic did. The ship that heard and ignored the distress calls of the Titanic was the "Californian".

I have not had the chance to dive this wreck yet, but from those who have, I've heard that there is little left of the wreck and that what is left of it, lies in shallow waters, supposedly moved there by storms.

As the wreck lies on the North side of the island and close to shore, where the ocean is quite rough, no dive operator dives this site on a regular basis. Dives are only made at this site when the ocean is calm, and in Aruba you never know in advance when it will be calm. The months of September and October probably offer the best chances of having a few "calm" days.

 

[PePaw]

The wreck of the California has no connection at all with the Titanic. If I'm not mistaken the California even sank before the Titanic did. The ship that heard and ignored the distress calls of the Titanic was the "Californian".

I have not had the chance to dive this wreck yet, but from those who have, I've heard that there is little left of the wreck and that what is left of it, lies in shallow waters, supposedly moved there by storms.

As the wreck lies on the North side of the island and close to shore, where the ocean is quite rough, no dive operator dives this site on a regular basis. Dives are only made at this site when the ocean is calm, and in Aruba you never know in advance when it will be calm. The months of September and October probably offer the best chances of having a few "calm" days.

Great ! Now I get to go home and tell my wife she's WRONG !
Thanks for the info !

 

[mike_s]

My wife would really like to dive on the California when we return to Aruba this year. ( She's intersted in the history, Titanic connection etc.) It's listed as a dive site but I can't find a Dive Op that has it on their schedule.
Anybody know anyone who dives it ?
Anybody have any reviews or opinions ?

Thanks !

The reason that most of the dive ops don't go there is that it's a long boat ride and on the wrong side of the island. Supposed to be strong currents up there....

From the times I've been up to the north part of the island where the California lighthouse is, the seas have always been pretty rough (seeing from the land).

The wreck of the California has no connection at all with the Titanic. If I'm not mistaken the California even sank before the Titanic did. The ship that heard and ignored the distress calls of the Titanic was the "Californian".

Yep.... you're right. This is a different ship than the Titanic Californian.

All the tourist guides down there will tell you it's the same though. They just repeat the garbage they hear from the others and have no clue what they are saying.

I told one of them this and he looked at me with a glazed look.

The California wreck in Aruba sank in the late 1800's. The Titanic sank in the early 1900s. How could they be the same ship? he still had a glazed look on his face.... I still to this day don't think he got it.



It's also amazing how many other websites now days cut and paste incorrect information like this onto their websites without ever checking it. Even United Airlines has it listed as info on Aruba on their page this way. I guess they never bothered checking the date it sunk first.... and that the Titanic wasn't even built then.

 

[PePaw]

I e-mailed my wife the news that it WASN'T related to the Titanic.
She e-mails me back this link Aruba - Diving

Oh crap ! The battle between men and women, right and wrong has begun !

Thanks for the input.
We ain't divin' there !

 

[mike_s]

The California in Aruba sank in 1891. The Titanic wasn't even built then. It sank on it's maiden voyage in 1912. Simple math.



but... see Aruba Bound! FAQ

How did the California area get its name?
The original name of this area was Hudishibana. California was the name of a steamship shipwrecked of this wild coast in the middle of the night- September 23rd, 1891. The accident resulted in the death of one crew member- the ship's engineer.
Onboard there was a great deal of merchandise such as clothing, provisions & even furniture. All of these items were thrown overboard in an attempt to keep the ship afloat. As goods floated up to the shore it was picked up by locals & to be sold in the markets.
2 police officers from Curacao were called to Aruba to help stop the locals from stealing the goods as they floated ashore. Traveling to the northern edge of the island, they stopped & asked for directions. They were not aware that California was a ship, their orders were simply to help local police. The locals thought it amusing that the cops were looking for a "place" that no one had ever heard of. Thus the nickname & reason why this area has became known as California.
This was NOT the Californian. The Californian of Titanic infamy was sunk off the coast of Greece-Cape Matapan- during World War I. For more information contact the Aruban library.​

now if she really wants to dive a "california' shipwreck, she can dive the Baja California. It was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico by a U-Boat.

Baja California

 

[PePaw]

Hey Mike, I copied and pasted ya' to my wife !
The next volley has been fired !

 

[irie1029]

Don't go and confuse the issue with facts.

 

[PePaw]

Update....
I WON, I WON, I WON !