Duiksteks:
Wata
Mula
Playa Lagoen
Mushroom Forest
Sponge Forest
Black Coral Gardens
Hell's Corner
The Airplane
San Juan Baai
Porto Mari
Vaersenbaai
Blauwbaai
Waterplane
Superior Producer
Oswaldo's Drop-off
Car Pile
S.S. Oranje Nassau
Jan Thiel
Lost Anchor
Tugboat
Punt'i Piku
|
 Klein
Curacao
Here are some of the many dive sites on Curacao.
There are many other options. Klein Curacao also offers a lot
of fantastic dive possibilities. The house reefs of the hotels
are not on this list.
Wata Mula The
northern most dive site on the island. Here you will find a flora
and fauna that is completely different from other places around
the island. A rough and original underwater world. Large morays
and sometimes sharks. At Wata Mula you will find a nice cave.
This site is only suited for very experienced divers.
 Playa
Lagun Located at the
end of the Mushroom Forest, this snow-white beach is idyllically
nested between two massive rock formations. With a swimming distance
of just 150 yards from the shore to the reef, this area is perfect
for shore dives. Visibility is very good - often more than 100
feet - and a ten-minute swim from the shore leads to the first
drop-off of 30 feet, with a second drop-off to 150 feet. Tucked
away along the southeast shore are several caves along the cliff
line.
 Mushroom
Forest One of the most beautiful dive sites of
Band'Abao. Gently sloping reef is made even the more spectacular
by giant mushroom-shaped star coral formations, formed by clams
and sponges boring into their bases. Turtles, porcupine fish, lobsters
and green morays are among the denizens in this grove. A nearby
cave shelters schools of fisherlings. You haven't seen Curacao
until you have been to the Mushroom Forest! |
| Sponge Forest As
you can guess, an area that boosts some of the most spectacular
sponges to be found in the Caribbean. The enormous breaker
sponges have cross sections measuring 4 feet, with heights
varying between 3 and 6 feet. Don't forget to bring your
wide-angle lens. |
Black Coral Gardens When you swim over the drop-off,
you will see large brownish corals. The reef has an angle of
about 45 degrees. Sea turtles, sepias and barracudas can often
be found here. Sometimes you'll see a stingray or a manta
Hell's Corner A steeply shelving reef covered
with large gorgonia and pillar corals. Also you will see a lot
of brain corals, tube sponges, mushroom heads, schooling jacks
and sea turtles. .
 The Airplane Just of the beach of the Sunset Waters
Hotel at less than 30 feet you will find a small sportsplane.
This machine of the Aero Commander type, built in 1962, marks
the place where you start and end your dive at the house reef,
also called "Mike's Reef".
San Juan Bay An almost straight wall of
coral. Here you will find all kinds of animals, like symbiose,
shrimps, stars, etc. The reef is on the front side of a large
cliff.
 Porto Mari A beautiful location with an impressive
double reef, which is easy accessible. Keep a bit to
the east while diving and you can't miss it. The undeep
terrace is ideal for training, since it has a nice smooth
sand bottom. On the beach you will find all kinds of
facilities for divers, like showers and cleaning water. |
 Vaersenbay Vaersenbay is located between the
village of St. Michiel and Bullenbaai just northwest
of Willemstad. It is a site that is very well suited
to enter from the beach. The sea is always calm and is
also perfect for snorkling. The reef starts at 30 feet
and goes on until about 100 feet. |
| Blauwbaai (Blue
Bay) Blue Bay is so private, that you can only
reach it by boat. A short swimm will put divers and snorkelers
amongst hosts of healthy corals and reed fish covering
the shelf. Experienced divers will want to drift along "the
Wall" - an alomost vertical drop-off. |
 Waterplane A few
hundred yard westward of the buoy of the wreck of the "Superior Producer" you
ill find the remainings of a waterplane. Everywhere around
the wreck you will find sharp ammunition. Please DO
NOT touch this or take it with you. |
Superior Producer This site is one of the finest
wrecks in the Caribbean for intermediate and advanced
divers. Visibility is at its best in the early morning,
and you will get a good look at this overgrown wreck's
residents: barracudas and groupers, coral and anemones.
Explore from bow to stern. The ship sits upright.
Oswaldo's Drop-Off The housereef of the Princess
Beach hotel is not only easy accessible, it also offers
many tame fishes and beautiful coral formations.
Car Pile The most exciting traffic
jam you'll ever see. This artificial reef was constructed
from old car bodies dating back to the 1940's and is
a wonderful way to combine two passions. |
 S.S. Oranje Nassau Right in front of the Seaquarium
you will find the wreck of the Dutch steamship Oranje
Nassau, that stranded about 80 years ago on the coast
of Koraal Specht. The steam engines still reach the surface.
You will find lots of elkcoral. At the bottom you will
find a memorial stone, especially placed there for divers.
It is an undeep diving spot and easily accessible from
the Seaquarium. |
| Jan
Thiel Perfect for all divers and snorkelers,
this calm lagoon is outlined by lush coral heads and
gorgonian beds. A scenic swim rewards at a deeply overcut
ledge formed 5000 years ago. A large shallow plateau
leads to a coral covered wall where lots of reef fish
like chromis, damsel fish, angel fish and rock beauties
make their home. |
 Lost Anchor On the western side of the Caracasbay
there is an impressive drop-off, beautifully overgrown with
gorgonias and corals. Here you can find an achor cable of an
unknown lenght. Divers have followed it until a depth of 300
feet and not found the end.
Tugboat A great photo opportunity with
your dive buddy as pilot in the wheel house. This quarter century
old wreck sits in just 17 feet of water and is covered with coral.
Morays, trumpetfish, angel fish and tube coral have all booked
passage.
Punt'i
Piku Punt'i Piku
is close to the Spanish Water. Just of the coast on the left
side you will find a sandbank covered with firecoral, elkcoral
and gorgonia. The reef itself is pretty steep and goes down until
about 90 feet.
Klein Curacao Any diver, snorkler, or sun
lover who has dreamed of being marooned on an uninhabited desert
island, can live their fantasy with a daytrip to Klein Curacao.
The beaches of this small island are covered with a thick layer
of powdery, crystalline white sand, and briliant crystal-clear
water laps against the sheltered leeward side. There are several
touropertaors organizing trips to Klein Curacao. |
