Almost 5 years ago, I earned my SCUBA diving license while diving off Koh Tao in Thailand. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Earth from beneath the ocean's surface.
My first exposure to diving the Caribbean set the bar high. Diving off the coast of the Dominican Republic was absolutely beautiful. The turquoise seas, the variety of coral and sea life, and the personalized experience I received was top notch.
Diving Curaçao was a very different experience but a truly unique one! With coral shaped like giant mushrooms and reef growing high like skyscrapers, I loved my dive experience in Curaçao!
Diving In Curaçao
Diving a country's surrounding waters is one of my favorite ways to explore a new place.
I try to dive at least once in every country I visit, as long as the diving is known to be decent there. Curaçao has a very good reputation for both its snorkeling and diving.
I decided to check out the diving after a few days of land activities. I had already started exploring the Westpunt area of Curaçao and was starting to familiarize myself with the area. On a visit to Playa Forti, I met Floris at Go West Diving* and decided to go with them since he made booking super easy through WhatsApp.
I went on 2 dives including all equipment for a total of $142. It's a steep price in comparison to other places I have been. For example, in Key Largo Florida, 2 dives are only $110 including all gear. But I the price was fair for Curaçao and I felt it would be worth it because it was the Caribbean.
One of my favorite recent dive locations was in the Dominican Republic. I escaped the resort life along the Atlantic Ocean to dive the southern Caribbean side of the DR. Diving the crystal clear, aqua blue water there convinced me that the Caribbean Sea is the best.
Curaçao did not disappoint. It was a different experience from the one I received half a year earlier, but it was still beautiful. The reef shapes and sizes were incredible!
Mushroom Forest
I fell in love with the reef at Mushroom Forest dive site. The name of the dive site gives it away. The reef there comes in unique varieties that resemble fungi of all different shapes and sizes!
The following are photos of some of the more mushroom-like coral I saw:
This was already my 46th lifetime dive and I had never seen anything like it. Check out some more of my best photos from Mushroom Forest below.
Mushroom Forest has an average visibility of about 85 ft (26m). The depth can get up to 60 ft (18m).
Elvin's Plane Wreck
The first plane wreck dive I ever went on was in Hawaii. Elvin's was at 15m and did not include a swim-through like the one in Hawaii. Apparently Elvin is the cousin of the Go West Diving owner.
The Curaçao Fire Department donated the Fokker Fairchild 27 plane to Go West Diving. It used to fly with Antillean Airlines between Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire.
Originally sunk intact, 2008 Tropical Storm Omar tore it into pieces and scattered it across the sea floor. Hence, this is why the plane did not have any whole pieces for a swim-through. However, Elvin's plane wreck still has intact windows which were fun for photos!
This dive was mostly a means to getting to the next site. We got a sort of 2-for-1 deal out of this, as we checked out the wreck on the way to our next stop.
Alice In Wonderland
Another famous dive spot, Alice in Wonderland is known for its large reef system that seems to increase in size as you move throughout. Like Alice who drinks the magic potions to change her size, the reef here shoots up around you like skyscrapers.
This was definitely another unique coral reef experience. And of course the reef was teeming with life!
Most people suggested I go check out the most popular dive site in the area—Watamula. Watamula is said to be the best because of the 2 currents that merge there. This makes for a very healthy reef system.
Apparently, Alice in Wonderland is very close by Watamula. I was satisfied with what I saw there, especially since my dive companions who already went to Watamula said it was very similar.
Video Of My Dives In Curaçao
The following is some video footage I took of both my dives in Curaçao.
In Conclusion
I loved diving these 2 sites with Go West Diving*. But I was ready for a water adventure that would prove to be a little less expensive.
In a future post, I will share with you my visit to the famous Blue Room with one of Curaçao's legendary guides!
*Disclaimer
I am not paid to mention any companies in my posts. Clicking any of the links does not benefit me or this site one bit. I say what I say completely as an actual, unpaid consumer who encourages my readers to do their own research and decide on their own path.
