Fishing in Aruba – A Popular Attraction for Tourists

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Fishing can be considered a delicate sport, and it takes a lot of patience to catch a big fish. This hobby is widely popular across the world, and there are places where people pay a big chunk of money to visit, only to try and taste the thrill of fishing. Aruba is one such place where people come from all over the world to try and sample the fishing it offers.

Fishing can be considered a large part of the culture of the island itself. Fishing, as well as sailing, is the type of popular attraction that the island lives off, and tourists are offered the chance to catch some of the amazing species of fish that live in around the island.

If you are a fishing guy, then Aruba is the place for you. While most of the fishing is done in around the southwest coast of the island, the northern side is most popular to other activities such as surfing and sailing. This is because the northern side of the island is mostly windy.  However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t go fishing on the northern side, as fishing there can yield some easy catch because of the fish getting trapped in the rocks because of the current.

The most popular type of fishing in Aruba is considered deep-sea fishing and it is done from a depth of up to 400 feet. A lot of companies offer Aruba fishing charters so you get the chance to experience Aruba deep-sea fishing.

Some species of fish have become extremely rare due to overfishing. Some of these species include the likes of the Goliath Groupers, formerly known as Jewfish.

Aruba is filled with fish, and they can be found in all levels of water, from deep-sea to shallow waters. There are many species of fish found in Aruba’s shallow waters, and most popular catch while fishing in Aruba’s shallow waters are: the Red Snapper, Silk Snapper, Blackfin and Yellowtail Snappers, Greater Amberjack, Queen Triggerfish, Blue Runner, Parrotfish, And The Infamous King Mackerel.

While these fish sound exciting, catching them is an even harder task. Aruba’s shallow water fish are notorious for being the best fighters. Shallow water fishing can be done from a small boat or from the shore.

Deep-sea fishing, on the other hand, is a completely different story. From your usual fish suspects like the various types of Tuna’s, Aruba’s deep-sea water fish species are something else. Notable specimens include: the Blue and White Marlin, King Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Barracuda, Wahoo, Yellowfin and Blackfin Tuna, Albacore, Sailfish, Bonito, and various types of Sharks.

Catching some of these fish are more challenging than their colleges around shallow waters, and nets are usually useless for some of them due to the sheer size of these fish. In order to take on a deep-sea fishing trip, you will need a much bigger boat, and most of the cases you will need to charter one.

While there are many wonderful sights and things to do in Aruba, deep-sea and shallow water fishing in part of the island’s long tradition. The size of some of the fish and the tradition are part of the reasons why many people travel to Aruba.


Peter is a freelance writer with more than eight years of experience covering topics in politics. He was one of the guys that were here when the foreignpolicyi.org started.