Curacao Dive Travel | Curacao Travel Information | Curacao Scuba Diving Information

Curacao



Curaçao was originally formed from volcanic limestone, on which coral has been growing for centuries. Right from your first dive this is easy to see. Close in to the coastline you can see the most magnificent coral reefs. It's not surprising that scuba diving is one of the most popular sports on Curaçao. Fortunately this sport does no harm to the peaceful atmosphere or to the breathtaking underwater flora and fauna which have been there for more than 60 million years.

With some 100 good spots for scuba diving along the whole of the south coast, Curaçao is considered by many to be a diving paradise. Just admiring a shallow reef is an unforgettable experience. Once you reach the deeper water beyond the edge of a reef, one of Curaçao's greatest and most impressive sights opens up for you.

Boat diving with a recommend dive operator is the most comfortable and luxurious way to dive Curacao, and for beginners with their Open Water Certificate, this option gives the greatest feeling of security. Many experienced divers prefers to head out and explore the numerous shore diving sites with their buddies. Diverse underwater landscapes can be found just about anywhere, right of the coast of the island. Most shore diving sites are easily accessible: with a good map of the island and a rental car visitor can reach almost all sites in less than half hour. Every major hotel has it's own dive base offering dive and snorkel excursion by boat, rental equipment, packages and certification courses. Dive excursion by boat often head to the sites which are not easily accessible by land.

The wonderful world between surf and drop-off. One of the greatest advantages of diving Curacao is that most of the beautiful sites are perfect for divers of different certification. In very shallow water of 3-9 feet, divers and snorkels can discover soft coral, sea urchins, brain corals and numerous tropical fish. A little deeper at about 12 feet divers will find colonies of Elkhorn and fire corals. Somewhat deeper is the transition from the plateau to the wall where the riches underwater flora and fauna can be found between 30 and 70 feet. When the sunlight begins to fade at around 80 feet, the sea life diminishes because many of Curacao's sea creatures are dependent on a constant stream of sunlight from the surface, therefore they prefer shallower waters.

Curacao is also a "top" destination for Snorkeling. You can swim but your mind boggles at the thought of scuba diving? You can still experience the magnificence of the underwater world. Only the most basic equipment is needed, and mastering snorkeling techniques is relatively easy. Curacao has been rated as one of the best Caribbean islands for diving and snorkeling. Because of the arid climate, deep water close to the shore and distance from major sediment sources such as rivers, the reef is lush. Snorkeling is best away from sandy beach areas - around rocks, corals and cliff or reef edges are the best options. Water temperatures are balmy, visibility is excellent, averaging about 30m (100ft). If you plan to dive or snorkel from shore, use booties and open heeled fins as many shore entries consist of coral rubble and rocks. A t-shirt and swimsuit are usually protection enough against equipment chaffing and sunburn. You may want to bring a dive skin to protect yourself from brushing accidentally against the coral.








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