What shipwrecks are on Klein Curacao?

Klein Curacao is a small, flat island near Curacao itself. However, the island does have a history with shipwrecks. Because of this, there are several shipwrecks on the island that you can go there to see during a nice walk around the island.

How were shipwrecks created?

Around the small island there are quite strong currents. This can make it very difficult for ships to navigate around it. There is also a northeast wind that causes ships to be pushed closer to the island’s shore as well. During the time of the West India Company, many ships sailed around here. This was because of the slave trade, but the island was also used for phosphate mining. So this ensured that there were always a lot of ships around and thus there were the ships that could lead to shipwrecks. Northeast winds combined with strong currents caused several vessels to run aground on land. Also, the island itself is very flat, which also makes it harder for ships to see in the first place.

Which ships ran ashore?

Maria Bianca Guidesman

Since the discovery of Klein Curacao, several ships have run aground here. The most famous ship of these is an oil tanker called the Maria Bianca Guidesman. This one was stranded here in the 1980s. This shipwreck can still be visited when you are on Klein Curacao, but it looks a little different now. Indeed, by now the wreck is already very rusty and becoming less and less visible. Of course, this is because natural elements gradually make it disappear, such as wind and sand, for example.

Magdalena

Another well-known shipwreck off Klein Curacao is the Magdalena. This is a German freighter which ran aground on the island in 1934. However, the shipwreck is now no longer visible on Klein Curacao. A lot of people spent weeks trying to get the ship unstuck again. In the end, rescue services managed to release it again. They did this by excavating the ship as much as possible. It took many men to do this and they also used several tugs until it finally succeeded.

Tchao

Finally, a ship ran aground fairly recently. The French sailing yacht named Tchao can still be seen on the island today, so you can go see it on your next visit to (Little) Curacao! The boat ran aground on April 1, 2007 and had 4 people on board. These people all fortunately arrived on the island unharmed, but the ship, however, was beyond rescue. By now, Tchao had sustained too much damage. Because of this, however, the shipwreck can still be seen today during a Klein Curacao trip. All of these shipwrecks are perfect for viewing while walking around the island, and it is also ideal for photographs.