First Time Diving in Curacao

Although Curacao is one of the smaller islands in the Caribbean, it one of the most loved dive destinations in the world. In addition to diving, Curacao is a popular spot for birdwatching, golfing, festivals, fishing, and sailing. Because of its location in the south of the Caribbean Sea, the island has attracted thousands of visitors who are interested in beach activities and water sports.

For your first time diving in Curacao, you can either book a dive package that includes hotel and dive tours. Or, you can book your own hotel and choose your dive guide from a list of dive centers. Either way, you are in for a treat as you explore life under the water in Curacao.

Diving Basics

If you have never dived before, you will see that diving is a life changing experience that will make you appreciate all that life has to offer. This is because being under the water, seeing marine life up close and experiencing weightlessness are things that do not happen every day. However, before you embark on your first diving trip to Curacao, there are a few things that you should know.

If you have gone on a few dives and have some experience under your belt, you would agree that these three tips can impact the success of your dive.

Types of Diving in Curacao

There are various types of diving in Curacao. One type is free diving. The other is scuba diving, which is extremely popular and includes varies categories of diving. They are:

• Drift Diving: Dives depend on the movement of the currents.
• Wreck Diving: Diving close to shipwrecks.
• Deep Diving: Diving in deep water at depths of 130 feet.
• Cave Diving: Diving close caves.
• Night Diving: Diving at dusk or at night.

Where to Dive in Curacao

New divers should take it easy on their first diving trip to Curacao. If you are diving with an experienced team, they will likely recommend spots that are easy to dive, have mild currents and shallow depths. Although some of the sites are ideal for beginner divers, they can also be fulfilling experiences for intermediate and advanced divers. Here is a list of the most popular dive sites in Curacao:

1. Alice in Wonderland: Popular spot for shore diving where coral grow as high as 60 feet.
2. Beacon Point: Dive sit with one of the largest pillar coral formations in the Caribbean.
3. Booby Trap: Beginner-friendly gently sloping reef with a sandy plateau and mild currents.
4. Coral Restoration Foundation Dive: Christmas tree underwater structures to restore coral reefs.
5. Director’s Bay: Popular shore dive and snorkel site that’s ideal for underwater photography.
6. Diver’s Leap: Steep wall dive with an abundance of coral and deep-water fish.
7. East Point: Beautiful reef system on the eastern tip of the Curacao National Marine Park.
8. Eel Valley: Shallow dive site close to the gold course on the Santa Barbara resort.
9. Klein Curacao: Uninhabited island that is 6.5 miles off the coast of Curacao.
10. Mushroom Forest: Unique dive site where coral formations resemble mushrooms.
11. Paradise: Quiet diving spot with a long reef and interesting underwater cave.
12. Shipwreck Point: Fringing reef that is the house reef of the Curacao Sea Aquarium.
13. Small Wall: Small wall dive with coral and hiding spots for marine life.
14. Smokeys: Quiet drift dive spot that attracts large species such as sharks and sting rays.
15. Snake Bay: Popular dive spot with a large variety of fish, reptiles and corals.
16. Superior Producer: Upright freighter which was sunk in 1977 and sits 100 feet below the surface.
17. The Blue Room: Underwater cavern with a tiny air-filled chamber where the water looks blue.
18. Tugboat: Tugboat wreck in 15 feet of water that was sunk few yards from Tugboat Beach.
19. Watamula: Dive spot for intermediate and advanced divers where currents connect.

Best Time to go Diving in Curacao

The average weather in Curacao ranges between 23 and 25 degrees (c). This means that you can travel to the island and enjoy good diving all year round. However, there are some months where you will see more marine life than other months. For example, March and April are mating months for species such as sea horses, green moray eels and porcupine puffer fish. For reference, please note that December to May are dry months, whilst June to November, which is the Atlantic Hurricane Season, are wet or rainy months.

Dive Companies in Curacao

For your first time diving in Curacao, you should book with a dive company. Get reviews from friends and families and check online reviews on travel forums. When you find a shop that you may be interested in, find out if their instructors and guides are qualified; ask about the condition of their diving equipment; and also ask about their maintenance, training and safety records.

Here is a list of dive companies in Curacao:

B Diving & Watersports

Blue Bay Dive & Watersports

Caribbean Sea Sports

Coral Divers

Curacao Divers

Curious2DIVE

Dive Center Scuba Do

Epsilon Curacao

Fundiving Curacao

Go West Diving

Goby Divers and Watersports

Jan Thiel Diving

Ocean Encounters

Porto Mari Sports

Scubaçao Diving Adventures

The Dive Bus

The Dive Shop

Marine Life in Curacao

One of the main reasons for going diving in Curacao is to see the amazing array of sealife. Curacao has an extensive collection of marine life from several categories of species. In recent times, new species of octopus were discovered in the waters around the island. The species is called Octopus jeraldi.

Here is a look at some of the marine life and fish in Curacao:

Anemonefish: Clown anemonefish, Pink anemonefish
Angelfish: Blue ring angelfish, Emperor angelfish, French Angelfish
Barracuda: Great Barracuda
Batfish: Longfin batfish, Obicular batfish
Boxfish: Yellow boxfish
Bullseye: Moontail bullseye
Butterflyfish: Raccoon butterflyfish, Copperband butterflyfish
Cardinalfish: Large tooth cardinalfish
Clownfish: Yellow tail clownfish
Cowrie: Tiger cowrie
Crab: Spectacled box crab, Porcelain crab
Damselfish: Blue-green damselfish, Sergeant Major
Drums: Spotted Drum
Eels: Giant Moray Eel, Greyface Moral Eel, Green Moray
Flounder: Peacock Flounder
Frogfish: Longlure Frogfish
Goatfish: Yellow Goatfish, Yellowfin Goatfish, Mexican Goatfish
Grouper: Brown-marbled grouper, Malabar grouper
Grunts: French Grunt, Blue Striped Grunt
Hinds: Peacock hinds, Coral hinds
Jellyfish: Golden Medusa
Lionfish: Red Lionfish
Lizardfish: Atlantic Lizardfish
Lobster: Spotted Spiny Lobster
Mackerel: Horse Mackerel
Octopus: Caribbean Reef Octopus
Parrotfish: Stoplight Parrotfish, Redtail Parrotfish, Common Parrotfish
Porcupinefish: English Porcupinefish
Sea Slugs: Much-desired Flabellina, Black-margined Nudibranch, Girdled Glossodoris, Goniobranchus reticulatus
Seahorses: Long Snout Seahorses
Sergeants Scissortail sergeant, Indo-Pacific sergeant
Shrimp: Peacock mantis shrimp
Snapper: Schoolmaster Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Lane Snapper
Squirrelfish: Reef Squittel Fish, Longspine Squirrel Fish
Stingrays: Southern Stingray
Surgeonfish: Blue Tang, Tang Doctorfish
Sweetlips: Harlequin sweetlips
Tarpon: Atlantic Tarpon
Trevallies: Orange-spotted trevally, Bluefin trevally, Herring scad
Trumpetfish: West Atlantic Trumpetfish
Trunkfish: Buffalo Trunkfish, Smooth Trunkfish
Turtles: Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle
Worms: Christmas tree worms,
Wrasses: Puddingwife Wrasse, Bluehead Wrasse

Where to Stay in Curacao

There are many options for accommodation in Curacao. Because the island is relatively small, nowhere is too far and guests can stay anywhere in the island. To check out the full directory of places to stay in Curacao, visit Booking.com.

There are also a few lodgings (ideal for a first time diving trip in Curacao) that offer hotel (sleep) and dive packages:

• Acoya Curacao Resort, Villas & Spa: Dr. Hugenholtzweg, Willemstad, Curaçao
• Bahia Apartments & Diving: Lagun 208, Lagun, Curaçao
• Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino: John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Willemstad, Curaçao
• LionsDive Resort: Bapor Kibrá, Willemstad, Curaçao
• Sandals Royal Curacao: Santa Barbara Estate, Porta Blancu, Willemstad, Curaçao
• Scuba Lodge Oceanfront Boutique Hotel: 104 Pietermaai, Willemstad Pietermaai, Curaçao
• Sunscape Curacao Resort Spa & Casino: 78 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Willemstad, Curaçao

Booking.com

Further Reading

For more information about first time diving in Curacao, visit the following links:

Dive In to Life: Scuba diving in Curaçao – Unveiling an underwater bliss
Dive Curacao: Dive Guide to the Top 10 Dive Sites
Ocean Encounters: Best Dive Sites in Curacao
Dive In: Top 15 Best Dive Sites in Curacao
Curacao 4 Canadians: C4C Fish-tionary: A Quick Guide to some of Curaçao’s Most Commonly Seen Sea Life
Dive Site Blog: The 13 Different Types of Diving Explained
Shades of Summr: Scuba Diving in Curacao – Ultimate Guide (With Map)
Dive Curacao: Trip Type: Sleep and Dive Curacao Packages
My Fish Gallery: Marine life of Curacao (Neth)
Curacao Fishing Adventures: Species
Dutch Caribbean Species Register: Diversity in the Dutch Caribbean

Image: Curacao Tourist Board

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