Visited: December 2024
The ABC islands consist of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and they are the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Curacao is the largest of these islands and is home to a healthy coral reef and vibrant marine life. It’s located below the hurricane belt and with crystal clear waters, it’s reputed to be a popular spot for diving, especially from the shore.
We decided to head to warmer waters in December to celebrate M’s first birthday. We also invited my mom and uncle along so we could squeeze in a bit of diving. It’s been a few years since we’ve been diving and we were eager to get back in the water.
Alice in Wonderland
After spending the morning in Shete Boka National Park, we returned to our accommodations for a quick bite to eat before heading to the Go West Diving dive shop. It’s located at Playa Kalki in Westpunt, which was less than a five minute drive from where we were staying. We signed up for a PADI refresher course as the last time we went diving was before the pandemic in 2019.
Our refresher course consisted of two parts. The first part was on land and included getting fitted for our gear, putting together our scuba kits, going through the skills we’d be practicing underwater, and a briefing of our dive plan so we could put our skills to practice. We were joined by one other diver.
Now that we had an overview of what to expect underwater, we geared up and walked (more like waddled) to the end of the dock. We used the ladder to get in and found a shallow sandy spot to practice our underwater skills. We had to clear and retrieve our regulator, flood and clear our face mask, practice being out of air, do some buoyancy checks and practice the different ways to release air from our BCD.
Once we mastered all of the skills, our guide led us to the reef, Alice in Wonderland. It’s reputed to be one of the best places go to shore diving in Curacao. It’s sheltered with very little current and contains colourful corals, as well as two sculptures, one of a Chici and the other of a saxophone.
The voluptuous Chichi statues are popular in Curacao. The term Chichi means “big sister” in Papiamentu, a Portuguese-based borele language that is commonly spoken on the ABC islands. It represents the eldest daughter of the family whom others would go to for advice and support.
It took awhile to get comfortable being underwater again, but we found our rhythm. After about an hour we surfaced, mainly because the other diver we were with was running low on air. We surfaced at the dock and then had to climb up the ladder with our tank and all our wet gear, which was quite heavy. After rinsing everything off, we headed back to our accommodations to go for a swim in the pool.
Black Coral Gardens
We had signed up for a morning two-tank boat dive with Go West diving. Even though there are plenty of places to go shore diving in Curacao, we figured boat diving would be faster. Plus we had a guide, who was the same person we had for our PADI refresher course. We arrived at the dive shop bright and early at 8am. After getting our gear ready, we headed over to the dock to hop on the boat. We were joined by six other divers.
It took about 40 minutes to get to our first dive site at Black Coral Gardens, which is only accessible by boat. It poured rain for part of the journey, but thankfully the boat had a covered section to keep us dry. Not that it mattered much as we’d soon be getting in the water. As we neared the dive site, we geared up then took turns jumping off the boat. Once we were all in the water, our guide gave the signal to descend. We lowered down to a shallow sandy patch then swam over to the reef.
The dive site is named for its abundance of rare black coral. It almost went extinct, but is now making a comeback. There were also a lot of hard and soft corals, along with other marine life including a bunch of barracudas and a few lionfish.
It was a relatively easy dive with not much of a current. It was a bit choppy on the surface though. After about an hour we returned to the boat for our one hour surface interval. The boat slowly motored back towards the dive shop, giving us a nice view of the rugged coastline that included a lot of cliffs and coves. This also gave us an opportunity to take a break, drink some water and eat some snacks (oranges and raisin buns) provided by the dive shop.
Paradise
We suited up and jumped back in the water for our second dive. It’s located close to shore, but is only reachable by boat. Apparently Go West Diving is the only dive shop that comes here. The shallow dive site contains a lot of rock pinnacles, hard corals and colourful sponges.
It was another relatively easy dive with not much of a current. After about an hour we came back to the surface, climbed on the boat and headed towards the dive shop. We rinsed off our gear then headed back to our accommodations for a late lunch.
Mushroom Forest
We signed up for another morning two-tank boat dive with Go West diving again. After getting all our diving gear ready, we hopped on the boat. We were joined by nine other divers this time. It took about 30 minutes or motoring to get to our first dive site.
Mushroom Forest gets its name from the abundance of coral and rock formations that resemble mushrooms. The water was cooler today and there was a stronger current, but the visibility was excellent. There was a lot of colourful coral, smaller fish and we even saw a couple of moray eels and a very curious pufferfish.
After about an hour we returned to the surface to take a break and head to our next dive site.
Miguel’s Reef / Elvin’s Plane Wreck / Watamula
We started off at Miguel’s Reef, which is located on a plateau near Alice in Wonderland. There were a lot of colourful corals. The visibility was excellent, but the current was super strong. We didn’t have to swim much as the current just carried us along.
We drifted to Elvin’s Plane Wreck, a Fokker Fairchild 27 which served as an island hopper between the ABC islands. It was sunk here in 2006 to create a new dive site and commemorate Elvin, an underwater enthusiast.
The current brought us to Watamula, located on the northern tip of the island. There was a beautiful display of hard and soft corals, barrel sponges, and fans. And right when we thought the dive couldn’t possibly get any better, we spotted an octopus that was changing color to blend in with the coral. This ended up being our favorite dive of the trip.
It was a short boat ride back to the dive shop. We rinsed off our gear and returned our rental equipment. We then headed back to our accommodations to enjoy our final evening by the pool.
While we didn’t see any big marine life, we enjoyed the smaller things diving in Curacao has to offer. There was a bit of bleaching and dying coral, but overall the coral reefs seemed vibrant and healthy. It felt great to get back in the water and explore life under the sea.
L
It is a wonderland that we all take for granted, thinking it will be there forever. Glad you got your dives in and that I got to stay dry and still see the sights. Thanks for sharing Linda., Happy Saturday. Allan
It’s a whole different world under the sea that’s very colourful and full of life. We haven’t been diving since before the pandemic and it was nice to get back in, or rather under, the water. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
Such gorgeous pictures! Thanks for posting them, Linda. It looks like you had some truly wonderful diving among very healthy reefs. That’s good news. Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks for your kind words. My underwater camera is quite old, but it still does the trick. Curacao was a lovely place to get back into diving as many of the sites are shallow and protected. And the water was very warm. We saw a bit of bleaching, but for the most part, the coral reefs looked quite healthy.
Amazing photos. It is an entire different world down there. I can see why you enjoy it.
Thanks for your lovely comment. You’re absolutely right about how it’s such a different world under the sea. It’s much more colourful. I was a bit worried since the last time we went diving nearly five years ago, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it all came back. We had a fabulous time underwater.
Wow, I didn’t know that you guys are divers too! Very beautiful photos from down there, it’s truly a different world! ❤️
Thanks for your kind words. I was pleasantly surprised at how colourful and healthy the coral was. We haven’t been diving in nearly five years because of the pandemic, so it felt great to get back in the warm water again. We’ve tried cold water diving in Tobermory, Ontario, but the water was waaaay too cold for my liking!!
I’m sure it was too cold way up there! 🥶🥶
Oh yah. And we went at the end of the summer in the hopes the lake would be a bit warmer. It was still freezing cold.
🥶🥶🥶🥶
Great photos of the sea life! I loved Bonaire The only problem was it was really hot and hard to find places to go into the water. I think the only way you could go into the water was if you were diving, but that makes sense since you like to dive. The heat and Bonaire is intense though isn’t it? When we were there I got some photos of fish too but not from inside the water. Luckily my camera could zoom in pretty well. I definitely do miss being there though. It was a great trip
Also on a side note, Aruba scared the crap out of me on the cruise lol. The rocking was so intense when we were leaving Aruba, the water was splashing out of the pool onto the upper deck lol. The waves on a certain side are very intense in Aruba. I’m so glad you got to see it though and enjoy the beautiful sights
Thanks for your kind words. I know what you mean about Bonaire. We went shore diving there and found some of the entry points at the “beaches” to be quite challenging. And there really wasn’t much else to do besides diving. That’s one of the main reasons why we enjoyed Curacao more was that there was a nice mix of stuff to do in the water and on land. We haven’t been to Aruba yet. Maybe next time.
It’s crazy to hear that the boat was rocking so hard that water was splashing out of the pool! I’m getting seasick just thinking about that!
Yes ! That situation scared me 😭 but yes Curacao has so much more to do and the birds are beautiful too
I never really noticed the birds in either Bonaire of Curacao. I guess this means I should probably return to both places now!
Yes!!! Definitely do 🙂
If only we had more vacation days! And money!
I know it. What do you do for a career ? I am looking to change mine. I can’t take the stress anymore
I’m an economist. Sorry to hear that you’ve been stressed with work. Remind me, what do you do again? Something with kids, right?
Oh wow ! Your job sounds cool 😎. I work with children that have behavioral struggles. It’s rewarding but I’m burnt out. I need a new career. Ok just scared because I’m not sure which direction to take
I imagine that would be very rewarding yet extremely exhausting and challenging. It’s good that you recognize the signs of burnout though. Hopefully you’re able to transition into something that’s still satisfying but way less stressful. Do you want to continue working with kids?
I think I want a completely different occupation altogether . It’s just too much and I need something simple for the time being but something that will pay the bills, too. It’s hard
Totally understandable. Best of luck finding something that’s less consuming, challenging and stressful. I imagine it’ll be a lot of work to switch careers, but it sounds like it’ll be worth it.
How awesome to see an octopus! I love them and haven’t seen them very often. I don’t think I’ve seen black coral so that would be fun to see. I used to hate wreck dives but after seeing a couple covered in coral I have a new appreciation. Were the statues placed down there to grow coral or we’re they the result of an accident? Looks like great diving. What was the cost for two tank dives? Maggie
Agreed, it’s always such a treat to see an octopus as they aren’t always easy to spot. I wouldn’t have even noticed it if it weren’t for our guide who pointed it out. The black coral was also neat as I don’t think I’ve seen that before. The statues at Alice in Wonderland were placed there for fun as an underwater attraction when snorkelling or diving.
We paid $120 USD for a two-tank morning boat dive, which was a bit on the pricer side. If we weren’t travelling with our little one, we probably would have done more shore diving, which is much cheaper.
Amazing underwater images! The puffer is soooo cute! I would love to learn to dive one day. So far, I’ve only had the guts to snorkel. It looks like diving opens up a whole new world. And fascinating tidbit about Curacao being below the hurricane belt.
Thanks for your kind words. Pufferfish are generally pretty curious and are always fun to spot while diving. This one hung around for quite a bit before moving on. Diving is such a neat experience. It takes a bit of getting used to, but with most things in life, practice always helps!
Wow, so beautiful! What a great trip!
Life is pretty colourful under the sea. We had a wonderful time enjoying the water in Curacao.
Magical images of a whole other world.
Thanks! It definitely felt like we were in a whole different world underwater. I was pleasantly surprised at how healthy and colourful the reefs were.
What amazing photos Linda. Much clearer than the ones we took in Northern Queensland.
Thanks for your lovely comment. My underwater camera is quite old, but it still works!!
I love the team at Go West! Nice images!
Thanks so much! We have nothing but wonderful things to say about Go West Diving. And their house reef, Alice in Wonderland, was a lot of fun to dive.
True moments that Alice in Wonderland 🤩👌photos from Ocean Diving in Curacao wonderful view 🌷🙏👍🏻😍 watching your photos The Great Barrier Reef most stunning beauty of earth wonders 👍🏻🌊 Thank you for sharing
and Best Wishes my dear friend 🌷🙏🥰🌷 happy weekend 💞🌹
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It’s a whole different world under the sea. And it’s all very colourful. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Dear , from your Adventures posts so many wonderful places I can view and read your lovely explanation also 😄🙏🌷thank you so much for my feedback comments and many Blessings 🖖 my friend 💖👏🌷
You are too kind. Enjoy the rest of the week.
Thank you 🙏🥰🖖🌷
Fabulous things to see, especially with the water being so beautifully clear. We’ve not been tempted to learn to dive, but the experience certainly gives something totally different.
The water was crystal clear and very warm. Curacao was a lovely place to get back into diving again. You should definitely give it a whirl sometime. It takes a bit getting used to figuring out your gear and breathing underwater, but it’s such a neat experience and great way to see a whole different world underwater.
I didn’t know you were divers as well. These are amazing photos!
It’s been awhile since we’ve been diving, nearly five years. It’s much tougher to do with our little one with us, but it was really nice to get back into the water again.
Absolutely amazing Photos. WOW !!! Beautiful
Thanks! It’s such a different world underwater! It was neat to see so many different types and colour of coral.
Impressive underwater photos. I was never comfortable snorkeling so I can’t imagine diving. I was in curaçao in about 1975. I’m sure it’s changed since then.
Thanks for your kind words. It’s funny because I’m not very comfortable with snorkelling either. I’m always afraid I’ll get separated from the group. I actually find I have less anxiety in the water when diving. Probably because I can see more of what’s around me and I just have way more freedom to move around in the water.
Wow! What an incredible experience and fun to learn this about you! I had great fun snorkeling during a boat excursion in Maui but never diving. Looks exciting! Thank you for sharing, Linda.
Diving is such a neat experience and a great way to explore what’s underwater. It’s been awhile since we’ve been. It’s funny how you mentioned Maui as that was actually the last place we went diving back in 2019!
A gorgeous place! I was with a group that went out in a jet boat. Great fun! After snorkeling in a vibrant area (lots of fish and sea turtles) she was determined to find dolphins. She kept on and she did! It was a magical experience, watching dolphins spin out of the water, all around us. 🐬
Sounds amazing and very magical!! And not a bad way to end your snorkelling adventure!
Gosh, your photos really make me miss snorkeling. I just realized that the last time I did it was in 2017! That’s way too long for someone who lives in a tropical island with a lot of excellent snorkeling spots that are relatively easy to reach. I have yet to try diving though. This diving trip in Curacao seems a success!
Curacao was a lovely spot to get back into diving as the water was warm, the visibility was excellent and many of the dive sites were sheltered with not much of a current. I’d say you’re long overdue for getting back into the water as well! If you enjoy snorkelling, you’d probably enjoy diving. It gives you way more flexibility and a closer look as to what’s underwater.
Love all the pictures and that you two had such an adventure together – literally away from everyone!
Thanks! You’re absolutely right, diving is definitely a great sport to get away from the crowds! That being said, if there is someone in your dive group that isn’t very good or guzzles through their air, the dive can end early, which kind of ruins it for everyone else.
Well, that would suck!
Yup!! Thankfully that hasn’t happened too many times. But once is more than enough!
No kidding!
Your photos are stunning! It seems like you enjoyed some wonderful dives; what a special experience. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. It was a lot of fun to go diving and explore underwater. It’s a whole different world under the sea!
Very cool! Thanks for sharing !
And many thanks for reading. It was a lot of fun to explore underwater. It’s a whole different world under the sea.
A very cool way to enjoy your travel.
You bet! It was nice to explore Curacao on land and in the water. The diving there was excellent!
Oh how beautiful, and so good for you to get some diving in again. It really is a completely different world down under the surface 🙂
Oh absolutely! And it’s such a neat experience to feel completely weightless underwater. While we didn’t see any big marine life, I was happy with all the colourful coral. It’s amazing how it comes in so many different shapes, sizes, and colours.
What an adventure you went on! The underwater scenery, and the mushroom forest, look amazing! What a great way to experience a different view of Curaçao.
I normally wouldn’t ask this but I never assume with you and K and how’d adventurous you two are – I’m assuming baby M sat this one out, right? 😆
I’d say the diving in Curacao lived up to its reputation! While we didn’t spot any big marine life, I enjoyed seeing all the different types and colours of coral.
We invited my mom and uncle along so they could babysit M while we went diving. She’s a bit too young. She can get her PADI junior Open Water certification when she’s 10 though!
Sounded like paradise! And great idea to have someone with you to watch M! She’ll be diving by 10, I can see it now!
Considering how much she loves the water, I don’t doubt it for a second!
Wow absolutely stunning. You had such a great adventure diving.
Absolutely! The water was clear and warm, and the coral reefs were just teeming with life.
Beautiful! How wonderful to get to do multiple dives on your trip. I’ve never done it (or snorkeled), but it must just be so peaceful and beautiful beneath the surface.
Diving is such a neat experience. You get to see such colourful coral and vibrant marine life. And you feel completely weightless in the water, which is a really cool feeling. I’d highly recommend trying it if you enjoy being in the water.
What an amazing adventure, and those photos are stunning. I hope we get to see some island views as well. Bernie
Thanks!! We definitely had a lot of fun in and under the water! I wrote about our land-based adventures in Curacao a couple of weeks ago, which included some lovely island views, especially when the sun was setting – https://wanderingcanadians.com/2025/02/28/curacao/
Beautiful!
I wish I was there right now!
It’s very encouraging to see the reefs are still in decent shape in Curacao. I’ve been reluctant to schedule a warm water dive trip as I keep hearing the reefs are all dying and I don’t want to get depressed. Cold water diving has been ok, but it’s having issues too.
Maybe I’ll have to try Bonaire again.
We saw a bit of coral bleaching, but it wasn’t too bad. I imagine it’ll get worse over time though. You’re brave to go cold water diving. I’ve tried it once in Tobermory, Ontario. The water was clear, but way too cold, even during the summer. I much prefer warmer waters!
Incredible pictures from your diving adventure! My fear of the water and inability to figure out how to breathe with gear means that it is not likely I will ever experience this first hand, so I am thrilled to follow along with your adventure and see what is beneath the waves 🙂
Thanks for your kind words. Sorry to hear about your fear of the water. Is it because you don’t know what’s lurking below the surface? Believe it or not, I’m actually terrified of sharks, which is why I’ll never go diving in places like Florida or the Bahamas. One of the reasons we went to Curacao was because shark attacks there are extremely rare.
That’s good to know! Sharks and other water creatures make up a big part of my fear. The other part comes from not being able to swim so I developed a fear of drowning early on. My dad was in the navy and use to do deep sea diving a lot and I think it’s always a heartache to him that I am so afraid of the water. But luckily, my daughter seems to be a water baby so that will make up for it 🙂
That’s too bad you were never comfortable being in the water and had a fear of drowning. Glad to hear your daughter doesn’t share the same fear. It’s amazing how kids seem so fearless when it comes to trying new things or learning a new skill. I tried skiing a few years ago and was terrified the whole time of falling and injuring myself to the point where I wasn’t having any fun. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Wow! Really beautiful under the sea 👍
Oh I know! Everything is so colourful and vibrant. I was pleasantly surprised at how healthy and diverse the coral reefs were.
Awesome
It was an amazing experience and one of the highlights of our time in Curacao.
This vacation certainly was a change for you. What did you most learn about Curaçao on land?
It definitely was a change. We’re used to taking road trips while travelling and will often move around a lot. I must say, it was really nice to just stay put in the same spot for an entire week. I was surprised at the scenery in Curacao. There were a lot of cacti and it was more lush than what I was expecting.
Fabulous photos! How cool that you were able to sample so many different underwater sites.
Thanks so much! My underwater camera is pretty old, but hey, it still works!! It was neat to spend some time underwater. It sure is colourful with all that coral.
Wow! It is a completely different world underwater. So beautiful. 😊
Oh I know! I’m glad we got to explore a few of the reefs. Diving is such a neat experience and a great way to get up close to the coral.
It looks so beautiful there, and amazing vantage points of the marine life. That is so cool that you saw an octopus too!!!
The water was warm, calm and clear, which was fantastic for diving. Seeing the octopus was such a treat and a great way to wrap up our last day of underwater.
I haven’t visited blogland in a long time, but wow, I’m glad to be able to find this post from you guys! It’s good to read that the Black Coral Gardens are making a comeback – it’s always great news that marine life is being preserved. Your photos are beautiful and Berto in particular really enjoyed your post! Oh, and happy first birthday to your little one!
It was neat to see some black coral especially considering how rare it is in Curaçao. It’s been awhile since we’ve been diving and it felt great to be underwater again. And Baby M had a lovely time at the beach and splish splashing in the water too!
Those are som great underwater photos. I don’t think I could dive so I am impressed with those that do! I enjoy snorkeling though but I know it is not the same and definitely does not give the same perspective as diving. Great post! Lori
Thanks! My underwater camera is pretty old, but it still does the trick. The diving in Curacao was very lovely. There wasn’t much of a current, the dive sites were shallow, the water was warm, and there was so much to see. It’s funny because I like diving, but find snorkelling so stressful. I’m always worried about getting left behind! Have a wonderful weekend. Linda