Welcome > Map of the islands > Diving in Curaçao

Prior to 1983, Staghorn Coral used to cover large stretches with  impenetrable thickets, as can be seen in the photograph above, taken in 1976. Today, only rubble is left of these formidable forests.

The coral reef of Curaçao is beautiful. In fact it is one of the most beautiful of the Caribbean, with a higher coral cover percentage than in many other places. Regretfully, like everywhere in the world, The coral reef is in decline. Diseases are evident everywhere, Staghorn coral and Elkhorn coral (Acropora) were the first to go in the early 1980's, only remnants can be found now of these once most numerous corals of our reef.

Also in the early eighties, a massive die-off of Long-spined Sea Urchins (Diadema antillarum) occurred, again caused by a disease. Within a year 99% of these urchins disappeared, which had a great impact on the reef ecosystem. Today these sea urchins seem to be recovering, but their numbers are still only a fraction of what they once were.

For those who never saw the densities of longspined sea urchins in shallow water, prior to the early 1980's when a Caribbean wide disease killed 99% of them, it is unimaginable. This picture shows what it used to be like. Photo by Aubrey Tiel.

Star coral (Montastrea annularis) was the next victim of widespread disease. Starting in 1996 many colonies were afflicted with yellow-blotch disease, killing parts of or even whole coral colonies. At the moment the incidence of this disease seems to have stabilized at a low level.

At the same time coral bleaching seems to happen more and more regularly. This stress-induced phenomenon in which the coral loses the symbiotic algae that normally live inside its tissues—turning white in the process—is usually temporary. If it occurs too often or too long however, it can kill the coral.

All these disturbing signs gave rise to international concern. Among others it led to the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) which seeks to coordinate research and to raise public awareness and support for the coral reefs of the world. Locally an NGO called Reef Care Curaçao was founded, dedicated to the protection of the Curaçao coral reef. Since the 1970's an underwater park was established in Curaçao, managed by the CARMABI Foundation, which also runs a research institute where coral reef research is conducted, mainly by the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) in cooperation with the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Coral  bleaching in 1995 was very bad in Curaçao. About 90% of the afflicted corals recovered. Bleaching appears to be correlated with higher than average water temperatures in the warmest month. Photo by Gordy Cox.

No one knows exactly why all the diseases and affllictions of the coral reef all over the world are happening, although many theories exist, ranging from global warming to natural cyclic decline, from Saharan dust to land based sources of pollution; we only know for sure that it is probably a good thing to avoid all stress for the corals, so that their natural resistance to diseases is maximal. This means the sea needs to remain clean and clear, no silt and sedimentation from coastal development, no nutrient pollution from wastewater dumped into the ocean, or cesspits and septic tanks leaching into the groundwater. And of course divers need to be cautious and avoid touching the corals or kicking up sediment.

However, the coral reef of Curaçao is still beautiful and breathtaking, as the following pictures of some of Curacao’s dive sites will show you.

DIVE SITES

Click on a thumbnail image for a closer look.

Boka Flùit	Car Pile	Caracasbay	Jan Thiel	Playa Kalki	Kleine Knip	Masbangus

Pilings	Cornelis- baai	Slangenbaai	Superior Producer	Tarpon Bridge	Tugboat	Tunnel of Doom