WILLEMSTAD – If you are thinking about planning your next Caribbean dive vacation, then you should be considering the Dutch Caribbean Island of Curaçao!
Why? Because Curacao was once again voted as one of the Best Overall Dive Destinations in the Caribbean and Atlantic regions in Scuba Diving Magazine’s 2023 Readers Choice Awards that ranks the World’s Best Diving Destinations!
Photo courtesy of Dive Curaçao, taken by Ocean Encounters
Curaçao’s 2023 Scuba Diving Reader’s Choice Awards
Every year, Scuba Diving Magazine asks their readers to pool their collective knowledge by ranking a variety of categories, like destinations and operators, on a 1 to 5 scale.
According to Scuba Diving Magazine, “Our survey asked readers to evaluate dive destinations they’ve traveled to in the past two years across several categories.” The top destinations were then “rated excellent by survey respondents (in order based on the number of votes and percentile of score).”
Once again in the 30th Readers’ Choice Awards, our Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao was named as one of the Caribbean’s Best Overall Dive Destinations for 2023.
In addition to this incredible acknowledgement, Curaçao also ranked as a Top 10 Dive Destination in the following categories: Best Shore Diving, Health of Marine Environment, Best Snorkeling, Best Macro Life, Best Wreck Diving, Best Photography, Best Advanced Diving, Best Wall Diving and Best Big Animals!
Curaçao is a Best Shore Diving Destination
In a sport where you often must charter a boat to see the best of the underwater world, Curacao is a unique shore diving and snorkeling haven for divers looking to take the advantage of a more leisurely schedule.
Of the seventy popular dive sites the island has available, over half of them are reachable from the shore, and nearly all these shore diving and snorkeling sites are clearly marked along the roadway. Curaçao knows they have great access for shore diving and snorkeling, and they have gone out of their way to accommodate adventurers looking to take advantage of the matchless wonder.
Photo courtesy of Dive Curaçao, taken by Frank Do
Curaçao is a Best Destination for a Healthy Marine Environment
Sustainable Dive Tourism in Curacao is of immense importance to conserve the 104 square kilometers of fringing coral reefs that surround the island. Equally important is the real commitment between the public and private sectors to collaborate on environmental legislation and ISO Standards that is required for our island, located in the heart of the Dutch Caribbean.
Our island’s subaquatic life is one of the many things that sets Curaçao apart from the other islands in the Caribbean. The real commitment, of Dive Travel Curaçao and our sustainable tourism partners, to support Reef Renewal Curacao, Green Fins, and the PADI AWARE Foundation initiatives are first steps in sustaining and spreading environmental awareness of our island’s life below the waterline.
“Marine tourism plays an important role in Curaçao’s economy and as the industry grows, it is critical to establish practical approaches to protect the marine environment. By adopting Green Fins, dive operators are taking vital steps in ensuring Curaçao’s dive market is sustainably managed to increase corals and marine life’s resilience to wider global threats and protect the valuable marine ecosystems for future generations.” said JJ Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation.
Curaçao is a Best Destination for Snorkeling
Snorkeling in Curacao is a dream for anyone who loves the combination of amazing beaches and the mind-blowing diversity that exists along fringing coral reefs. The beaches in Curacao are ideal launching points for snorkeling because, within a few fin kicks, they provide easy access to the nearby reefs that are teaming with colorful life.
While snorkeling in Curacao it will not unusual to see large bait balls, schools of colorful parrotfish, tangs, Sargent Majors and of course sea turtles, to name a few – and you will of course be guaranteed to see unique coral formations like brain coral and giant sea fans.
Whatever you may be looking for, generally you will find it all underwater in Curaçao.
Photo courtesy of Dive Curaçao, taken by Ocean Encounters
Curaçao is a Best Destination for Macro Life and Photography
Are you an underwater photographer? If you are then you should discover Curaçao. This Dutch Caribbean Island is a fantastic alternative to Bonaire, and it is consistently rated as one of the 5 Best Places For Macro Scuba Diving and underwater photography in The Caribbean & Atlantic regions, according to Scuba Diving Magazine.
Shark and Manta sightings are rare which makes the encounters very special. But all the photogenic small stuff is here.
Curaçao is a Best Destination for Advanced and Wreck Diving
When you think about wreck diving or snorkeling around wrecks, your immediate attention turns to shipwrecks. Right? It’s true! What bubbles to the surface is a combination of speculation and an excited fascination because wrecks are simply cool plus they also offer nature new habitats such as incredible artificial reefs sites.
Here in Curacao, the variety and the depth of the wrecks to snorkel or to dive is quite vast. Not only are there shipwrecks to explore, but there are also cars, trucks, and even airplanes!
Curaçao is a Best Destination for Big Animals
It’s never the same scene twice since arriving here. Whale Sharks, Dolphins, Giant Manta Rays, Eagle Rays, Stingrays, Hammerheads, Sea Turtles, a Mola Mola, and even a few Humpback Whales have all wandered into our path over the years. That’s the beauty of diving around Curaçao: it’s natural biodiversity.
Curaçao is a Best Destination for Wall Diving
Curaçao has over 70 world class diving sites that line the southern coastline. But, did you know that Curaçao has some incredible vertical walls that plunge down more than a hundred feet or thirty meters?
Dive sites such as Blue Bay Wall, Beacon Point, Director’s Bay and Black Coral Garden are a few examples where the reef walls vary in size from just a few meters on a part of the reef to walls that drop dramatically down for hundreds of meters and more.
Are you ready to start planning your 2023 Caribbean diving vacation?
