Diving the Superior Producer Shipwreck in Curacao | 10 Best Shipwrecks | Dive Travel Curacao

At 16:30 – three hours after cast-off on Thursday September 30, 1977 – the MV Superior Producer disappeared below the waves and into the turquoise depths about 150 meters (500ft) from shore.

The Superior Producer is Curacao’s iconic shipwreck! This shipwreck is one of the most popular dive sites in Curacao and ranked as one of the top 10 Best scuba diving sites in the Caribbean.

The MV Superior Producer started life as the MV Andromeda (IMO nr. 5345431). It was built in 1957 as coastal cargo ship by Handel & Scheepsbouw Maatschappij Kramer and Booy NV, from Kootstertille, Netherlands. Measuring 50.22m (165ft) in length and 7.79m (25½ft) in width, with a maximum draught of 2.58m (8½ft), this 400-ton freighter was delivered on 8 November 1957 to Muller and Reitsma NV, from Rotterdam, Netherlands. On 22 February, 1962, she was sold to Rederij L Remeeus NV, from Rotterdam, Netherlands when she officially became known as the MV Superior Producer.

On 30 September 1977, the MV Superior Producer arrived early in the morning and docked on the inside of Curaçao Harbour (St. Annabaai) just past Queen Emma floating bridge. It was loaded with a Christmas cargo consisting of whisky, bottles of perfume, clothing and bags, destined for two local Curaçao merchants looking to profit from the upcoming holiday season.

The Sinking of the Superior Producer
At 13:30, on fateful Thursday afternoon, the crew of nine men of Venezuelan and Colombian nationality, cast off the lines. The ship Immediately began to heel dangerously, at which point the captain ordered a portion of the cargo, not properly stowed, to be thrown overboard. This did not help, and the situation was further complicated because the crew neglected to close the portholes, and the Producer began taking on water. Even the efforts of the Curaçao Port Authority tugboat to pull the boat upright again had no effect.

Diving the Superior Producer
Today, she sits quietly upright on her keel, between Double Reef and the entrance to St. Annabaai, with her bow facing west in roughly 30m (100ft) of water and about 150m (500ft) from the shoreline just in front of the new Curaçao Mega-piers. As an advanced shore dive or boat dive, the easiest approach is from the stern due to the possibility of the prevailing currents.

As you descend the fringing reef, an eerie dark shadow starts to appear. At first, you only see the stern, but then the entirety of this magnificent 50m (165ft) mass with it superstructure rising to within 21m (72ft) of the surface reveals itself, covered in a vast kaleidoscope of color. Now with roughly a half of a century of growth, the MV Superior Producer is an amazing artificial reef site home to numerous colonies and different species of corals, sponges, gorgonians and sea whips. Because of this, it is a natural attraction for schools of predatory fish such as Tarpons, Barracudas, Snappers and Jacks.

This is also a heaven for macro photographers and anyone who likes to get a close look at smaller stuff too. Caribbean spiny lobsters, parrotfish, French and Queen angelfish, turtles, scorpionfish and even morays. Look even closer for banded coral shrimp, nudibranchs, flamingo-tongue shells and possibly even frogfish. Basket stars, octopus and large spider crabs catch the eye while night diving this beautiful shipwreck too.

Top 10 BEST Shipwrecks located in the Heart of the Caribbean
With its wide-open cargo holds and accessible wheel house, the MV Superior Producer has become renowned as one of the Top Shipwrecks in the World rivaled only by the likes of the SS Thistlegorm in the Red Sea and the WWII wrecks in Palau.
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Video produced and edited for Dive Curacao, by Nature Pics Films

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[oceanencounters]

Outstanding!! Many thanks Dive Curacao and Nature Pics for another fantastic video promoting Curacao's world class scuba diving!! Keep up the great work!! 💯🙏🤝

[firstinlastout]

Loved this dive. But be careful with penetrating the hull! My BC hose got stuck while penetrating the wreck, I went through some archway. Luckily my training kicked in. But all the glory goes to Yahusha Ha'Mashiach. Amen ❤

[bademann]

Is it actually possible to do this dive on your own from shore?