'Catch of the day'
: commonplace on many restaurants' menus in Aruba.
Fishermen take off to the deep sea at first light,
often equipped only with a hand-line, and bring back the catch that
sometimes might even include a 300-pound shark! Nets are of little use to local fishermen
not only because of strong winds and currents, but also because the fishermen are after
larger species of fish, mostly red snapper and dolphin-fish.
The hand-line is the most
common fishing method in Aruba, consisting simply of fishing line, hooks and lead weight.
A fisherman bringing up the line has to muster both strength and skill to pull the catch
up, often with bare hands, from depths of close to 400 feet.
By far the largest proportion of
fishing is done along Aruba's southwest coast (right), although some
fishermen sometimes fish on the north coast where the rough sea often cause fish to become
trapped in small pools carved in the rocks - an easy catch. One of the typical Aruban
seafood dishes, keri-keri, which is a minced fish stew, is often made
from fish caught in this way.
Up until a few decades ago,
fishermen would set off in their small boats for days on end, but today they rarely spend
more than twelve hours off shore. Their boats' colorful designs are not
simply decorative, but are also identifiable and specific designs of the boats' owners,
easily recognizable from the shore. The Caribbean is a treacherous sea, and the adventures
of fishermen that got lost at sea only to be found in the waters of Panama after a month,
are told as local legends.
Deep
Sea Fishing in Aruba
Visitors to Aruba who have a love for fishing can charter skippered boats for a fishing expedition where
typical catches would be Wahoo, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, King Fish, Tuna &
Bonito.
Packages include tackle, bait, food and refreshments.
Registered
with The Aruba Chamber of Commerce since 1997
MEMBER
OF The Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association (AHATA)
&
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
Fishermen take off to the deep sea at first light,
often equipped only with a hand-line, and bring back the catch that
sometimes might even include a 300-pound shark! Nets are of little use to local fishermen
not only because of strong winds and currents, but also because the fishermen are after
larger species of fish, mostly red snapper and dolphin-fish.
By far the largest proportion of
fishing is done along Aruba's southwest coast (right), although some
fishermen sometimes fish on the north coast where the rough sea often cause fish to become
trapped in small pools carved in the rocks - an easy catch. One of the typical Aruban
seafood dishes, keri-keri, which is a minced fish stew, is often made
from fish caught in this way. 
Deep
Sea Fishing in Aruba