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TikTok put Tres Trapi on the map. The turtles never needed an address.

Tres Trapi, named for the three little steps carved into the rock leading down to the water, has become one of Aruba’s most talked-about snorkeling spots on social media.

But the turtles are swimming all along this stretch of the Malmok coastline.

So are the fish.

Boca Catalina, Tres Trapi, Malmok, Arashi. We’ve given each little piece of coastline its own name. Underwater, those boundaries disappear.

So Where Is Malmok Reef?

From shore, all those names can make this little stretch of coastline seem more complicated than it is.

Malmok isn’t one neatly defined reef sitting offshore. It’s a rocky stretch of coastline, with ledges, reef, seagrass and marine life running along the shoreline. Boca Catalina, Tres Trapi and Malmok are all familiar names along this same stretch, with Arashi just beyond.

The seagrass is particularly important for green sea turtles, which feed there.

It’s one of the questions we hear all the time:

Will we see a turtle?

We see turtles along this coastline almost every day, although they’re wild animals, so no sighting can ever be guaranteed.

And you don’t necessarily have to be in the water to see one.

Sometimes a turtle swims right alongside the boat and surfaces, close enough for guests to take photographs from aboard.

Tres Trapi certainly deserves its reputation. But it doesn’t have exclusive rights to the turtles.

There’s no turtle waiting beneath the Tres Trapi pin on Google Maps.

What Nearly 30 Years on This Water Has Taught Us

Since Jolly Pirates began sailing these waters, we’ve watched tens of thousands of people slip into the sea with masks, snorkels and fins.

Some come back aboard with turtle photos. Some are excited about a fish they can’t identify.

And sometimes what happens in these waters becomes a story nobody aboard forgets.

A Rescue Nobody Forgot

At the Antilla shipwreck, offshore in the Malmok area, Captain Julio once spotted a large sea turtle struggling in the water.

She was badly tangled in fishing net, much of it wrapped around her neck. The crew had to bring her aboard.

Her breathing was labored, and she was obviously in distress.

Julio and the crew carefully cut away the netting and gave her oxygen while everyone aboard watched.

And by pure chance, Pepper Hymans was aboard that day with his video camera.

He captured the whole rescue.

Once the netting was removed and the turtle was breathing better, she was returned to the sea.



And over the years, there have been other Jolly Pirates rescues too.

The goats, the dogs and one unsuspecting husband are stories for another day.

The Other Wildlife at Malmok

Most days at Malmok are simply beautiful days to swim and snorkel.

Although not necessarily quiet.

This is where the Jolly Pirates rope swings come out.

When both schooners are anchored off Malmok, they’re a familiar and much-photographed sight along this coastline. Music carries across the water. Someone grabs a rope, swings high from the side of the ship and lets go. The cheering starts before they even hit the sea.

You would think after all these years I’d simply keep driving.

I don’t.

When I pass Malmok and see both ships out there, filled with happy people swimming and swinging, I still pull over and take a picture.

It never gets old.

My son Ty was five the first time he took that rope swing, on his dad’s 40th birthday. His dad was one of our former captains. Years later, Ty worked aboard Jolly Pirates as a teenager. Today, he’s often back aboard behind a camera, creating many of the photographs and videos that tell our story.

And as the day winds down, Malmok changes again. The snorkelers begin to disappear and local fishermen take their places along the rocky shoreline, casting their lines from the water’s edge as the sun goes down.

When Is the Best Time to Snorkel Malmok?

Morning is usually our favorite.

The water often starts the day calmer, and Aruba’s trade winds tend to strengthen as the day goes on. That doesn’t mean the afternoon can’t be beautiful. Conditions simply change.

There really isn’t a short snorkeling season here, either. Aruba is a year-round snorkeling destination.

Our location in the far southern Caribbean puts Aruba outside the main hurricane belt, so direct hits are extremely rare. During Atlantic hurricane season, a storm passing elsewhere in the Caribbean can occasionally interrupt our usual trade winds, sometimes leaving us with one of those strange, almost windless Aruba days.

Wind, waves and visibility on the day you’re going matter more than the month on the calendar.

If you’re snorkeling from shore, where you enter can make a difference.

Boca Catalina has a small sandy beach and an easier entry. Tres Trapi has its three steps leading through the rocky coastline directly into the water. Malmok itself is rockier, with reef and marine life just offshore. Arashi, just beyond, brings you back to a larger sandy beach.

Do I Have to Be a Good Swimmer?

No.

When people ask me this, my answer is pretty simple:

You don’t have to be a good swimmer. You just need to be able to float. And we can help you float.

Jolly Pirates provides snorkeling equipment and flotation devices, and our crew helps first-time snorkelers get comfortable before they enter the water.

The important exception is the Antilla shipwreck.

The Antilla sits farther offshore, where conditions can sometimes be rougher and currents stronger. We recommend that snorkel stop for stronger swimmers. Even with a flotation device, listen to the crew and pay attention to the conditions that day.

And if snorkeling simply isn’t for you, staying aboard and enjoying the view is perfectly fine, too.

If You Meet a Turtle

Give her room.

Don’t touch, chase or feed sea turtles, and never block the way to the surface when one comes up to breathe.

Sometimes the nicest thing you can do is simply float quietly and watch.

And sometimes you don’t even have to get in the water.

Every now and then, a turtle swims right alongside the boat, lifts her head above the surface for a breath, and gives everyone aboard a moment they weren’t expecting.

Want to snorkel Malmok with us?

Our Morning Sail, Snorkel, Swim & Swing visits Malmok Reef, Boca Catalina and the Antilla shipwreck.

Save us a seat.