On May 26, 2005, Ocean Encounters' Technical Exploration Team confirmed the location, position, and depth of the Stella Maris. This freighter was confiscated by the Dutch and Curaçao authorities for drug trafficking. The ship was sunk in the mid-'80s, after being purchased by the Seaquarium, as an artificial reef in front of Lions Dive Hotel. The sinking went bad and she was never seen again.

This year during the 3rd Annual Deep Week, the Technical Exploration Team planned four dives to find the ship. Team members Christian and Leo Ambrosi conducted the first two dives to practice protocols with Okke Eskes, safety diver.

Due to the size of the ship, in excess of 300 feet, and the contour of the reef, the predicted depth of the ship was beyond 600 feet. However, during the third dive of the Deep Week on May 19, 2005, at a depth of 300 feet, Leo Ambrosi noticed an irregular shape in the distance.

Leo and Christian, swam out into the water column for about 100 meters. Slowly, a shape emerged to form the bow of the ship. With an estimated depth of 400 feet, the dive was called, and decompression began. Eskes, the safety diver, met the divers at their first decompression stop to confirm the gas switches and a note written by Leo that read: We Found the Ship!!

On May 26, 2005, the divers entered the water for the final dive to confirm the depth and position of the Stella Maris. In 350 feet of water, the divers were over her portside. She lies on her starboard side with her bow in 380 feet of water. Stella Maris is pointing approximately 60 degrees north on a 20-degree slope.

Further exploration is currently being planned. For more information, please contact Christian Ambrosi at [email protected] or 5999-461-8131