CURACAO ... Corals are Animals

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   Yes   ...   CORALS    are    Animals

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Readers: The Blue information links are clickable

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How We Got ... HERE

It's a 4.5 hour duration (by car and trains) from our home in Wellington to a hotel room in Toronto. Dry driving conditions and almost balmy weather for our car shuttle but a VIA Rail train delay from Belleville; added about an hour to our total travel time. 

The flight to CURACAO was on schedule but Dann's personal suitcase didn't get on the 'dang' plane from Toronto.😒 Once we realized the baggage carousel was empty; it took us 30 minutes to register the issue with Westjet before we could take our shuttle to Papagao Beach Hotel and Resort and then another 45 minutes to travel across the island from Curacao International Airport. We were contacted later by Westjet and informed the missing suitcase had been located and would be sent on an Air Canada flight arriving the next day. Arrangements have been made to have it delivered to our hotel. UPDATE: 😁My luggage arrived within the next 24+ hours.

CURACAO is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Together with ARUBA and BONAIRE, it forms the ABC Islands. 

 ... here's a map.

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View PHOTOS Only ... Options

Option 1

If you prefer to skip over all the (often boring, diving-related 😕) text that I've written to accompany this post; click on any image or photo. That will launch a minimized gallery on your screen that you can then scroll (< >) through. This will also displays all photos in full screen format.                   

Option 2 

Or, for all photos (163 of them); go to this trips Google Album ... here. 

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PAPAGAYO Beach Hotel & Resort

Stock Photo

Papagayo Beach Hotel and Resort will be our accommodation for the next 2 weeks.

The resident dive shop is located between the 2 pools. 

If you look closely, you can see a PADIflag on the waterfront dive shop roof. 

From the dive shop wharf, the Divers' Leap shore dive leads to bottom left and the Sweet Bottom dive to top right in the photo.

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The RESORT & GROUNDS & NEARBY

ROMATIC

Room 498 

Newer, very quiet, kept clean, room safe, TV, good storage, 2 single beds joined (European style), nespresso coffee machine, fridge, European power inlets, separate toilet, nice balcony (very bright and hot late afternoon), good view

We spent our pool time here. Of the two pools available to us, this one was smaller, quieter, and closer.

Helen's Happy Feet

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Urban WILDLIFE Encounters

Venezuelan Troupial ... largest member of the Oriole family

Yellow-headed Amazon Parrot

Iguana

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Two WILLEMSTAD Walk-abouts

Willemstad is the capital of CURACAO and the former capital of the Netherlands Antilles. Part of its' historic city center is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. 

Near the pontoon bridge in Handelskade in Willemstad, wooden boats from VENEZUELA dock alongside the canal, and vendors here sell just-caught fish and tropical fruits and vegetables (plantains, citrus, papayas, avocados) directly from the quay under the shade of tents.

Punta Vibes UNESCO WHS

Queen Emma Bridge 

The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in CURACAO. It connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the capital city, Willemstad. The bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of oceangoing vessels. On the opposite end from the hinge is a small shelter where an operator controls two diesel engines turning propellers. The propellers are mounted perpendicular to the length of the bridge and allow it to swing parallel to the shore. The process only takes a few minutes to complete.

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If  YOU Go ... SHORE Diving with FUN DIVING

For more details on their operational procedures and the services they provide to divers, go here.

My first 2 dives were done from the house shore reef, directly in front of the Fun Diving shop located near the south west corner of the resort. Entry is a big leap or a ladder descent from a small deck area to an initial coral bottom of 15' or so. They have a small retail shop that includes classroom facilities and an equipment area for gear repair and maintenance. 

A second area nearer the waterfront, includes a covered gear set-up area, some rinse tanks and drying racks for all gear and electronics; lockers are available to secure gear overnight.

  

In many dive sites along CURACOA's Fringing Reef, divers who are shore diving may encounter small craft boat traffic (fishing boats, seadoos, catamarans etc) and it is recommended they tow a buoy with a PADI Diver Down flag visible. The house reef in front of Papagao Beach (Diver's Leap to Sweet Bottom) is easily identified by a dramatic colour change under most conditions; but heavy wave action, lack of boat operator knowledge or inconsideration has the potential for serious injury. 

All my remaining, 2-tank morning dives involved loading the gear for an ever-changing number of divers into a pickup truck and driving to a shore dive location somewhere on the island. Water, soft drinks and snacks (fruits, cookies) are available throughout the dives. The longest turnaround time in my case and based on the sites chosen, a 2-tank morning that included return was 5 hrs (9am - 2pm). 

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At The CURACAO Dive Sites

Explanations 

max depth/max bottom time

A Firstime Wildlife Sighting/Experience = * 

A PB (Personal Best (new or equaled)) = *

Curacao Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Guide (map is interactive)

 

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The DETAILS

# of Dives: 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Site Names: Divers' Leap (92'/59 min), Sweet Bottom (96'/53 min), MV Superior Producer (102'/32min), DoubleReef (74'/46min), TugboatWreck (49'/66 min), Bachelor's Beach (72'/71 min* ), Marie Pampoen Beach (67'/57 min ), Atlantis Beach H0use (59'/55 min ), Directeurs Baii (65'/59 min), Caracas Baii (50'/59 min)

Dive Master(s): Brad (4), Jordan (6) 

Brad                                                              Jordan

DM/Diver Ratios: 1:1/1:2/1:3

Average Maximum Depth/10 Tanks 

(92+96+102+74+49+72+67+59+65+50)/10 = 72.6 feet 

Average Bottom Time/10 Tanks 

(59+53+32+46+66+71+57+55+59+59)/10 = 55.7 min

Total Underwater Bottom Time = (59+53+32+46+66+71+57+55+59+59) = 557 min = 9 hr 17 min 

Number of Small 🐟: 10's of thousands 

Firstime Wildlife Sightings/Experiences: * hogfish * fish ball

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WHAT I SAW 🤿

While diving, I used a GoPro Hero 11 Black camera with a Telesin waterproof housing and FitStill handgrip. Underwater colour correction has been performed using the Dive+ app. All diving photography is mine; unless noted. 

The following photos were taken at the dive SITES listed above and are (mostly) in chronological order.

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LINKS

DISCLAIMER: The animals featured in the photos are often linked to various scientific knowledge sources; providing the most reliable and trusted information I could find. Please contact me if you have contradictory evidence that proves otherwise; and I will make any appropriate corrections.

So, if you are interested in marine life and would like to learn more; click on any of the blue caption links below any photo.

The landscape at Divers' Leap just before the reef wall and a descent
 to 92'

Small colonies of Christmas Tree Worms

DEFENSE
Despite their vibrant appearance, Christmas Tree Worms face threats from various marine predators. Fish, crabs, and certain species of snails feed on these colorful worms. Their ability to quickly retract into their protective tubes serves as a crucial defense mechanism against potential predators.

Sea Cucumber

DEFENSE

When threatened, some sea cucumbers discharge sticky threads to ensnare their enemies. Others can mutilate their own bodies as a defense mechanism. They violently contract their muscles and jettison some of their internal organs out of their anus. (Stock Photo)

Sharp-tailed Snake Eel

Trumpetfish

DEFENSE

Because they are extremely weak swimmers, trumpetfish sometimes rely on camouflaging themselves by “standing” vertically (not the case here) amongst sea whips and other gorgonians for both defense from predators and in order to catch prey.

Sea Anemone

DEFENSE

The defensive behavior is characterized by the compression of the body, extension of tentacles, and ejection of acontia. This form enables the anemone to shield the oral disk using cnidocytes in the tentacles and protect the body using acontial stinging cells.

Boxfish 1" long juv. (rt. side of coral)

DEFENSE

When stressed, these fish will release a toxin as a defence mechanism called pahutoxin, and this makes them an experienced keeper's fish. This toxin is fascinating, unique to the boxfish family in the underwater world, and is a surfactant.

MV Superior Producer

GOING DOWN
Word of the sinking spread across Curaçao like wildfire. Scuba divers, free-divers and snorkelers alike arrived on the shoreline from all over the island to scavenge the wreck for all its cargo. It was described as ‘pure chaos’ at the time, and within a few days, there was nothing left – even the neglected portholes had been taken. Curaçao’s Christmas market was well-stocked with an abundance of blue jeans.

Lionfish on the barrel. Can you find it?

DEFENSE

Lionfish spines contain a nasty neurotoxin that causes pain and swelling if injected. They use their spines as a defense mechanism from predators.

Fat Tarpon at 40' distant

Coral Reef Restoration Platforms

Tugboat Curacao

Scorpionfish 

DEFENSE

Located on its dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins, numerous spines serve as a formidable defense mechanism. If threatened or disturbed, the fish will raise its spines, presenting a warning to potential predators or intrusive underwater photographers!

Tugboat Beach Pier pillar

Divers heading under Tugboat Beach Pier

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

DEFENSE

The hawksbill is distinct among the sea turtles. It has a beaklike mouth that is curved and sharp, helping the turtle protect itself and eat. This is the only turtle with overlapping scutes (plates) on its shell.

Peacock (Flowery) Flounder

Can you find it?

DEFENSE

Like all flounders, peacock flounders are masters of camouflage. They use cryptic coloration to avoid being detected by both prey and predators. Whenever possible rather than swim they crawl on their fins along the bottom while constantly changing colors and patterns. In a study, peacock flounders demonstrated the ability to change colors in just eight seconds. They were even able to match the pattern of a checkerboard they were placed on. The changing of the colors is an extremely complex and not well understood process. It involves the flounder's vision and hormones. The flounders match the colors of the surface by releasing different pigments to the surface of the skin cells while leaving some of the cells white by sequestering those pigments. If one of the flounder's eyes is damaged or covered by sand, the flounders have difficulties in matching their colors to their surroundings. When hunting or hiding from predators, the flounders bury themselves in the sand, leaving only the eyes protruding.

Sand Diver

DEFENSE

Sandy and silty structures are preferred as it offers protection from predators because they tend to snuggle themselves under the sand with only their head being visible for protection. They have the ability to camouflage against rocks and this is also used as a defensive mechanism. Their movements are so fast that they become invisible in motion .

Seahorse

DEFENSE

A seahorse's lack of mobility is compensated for by fascinating defense mechanisms. One such mechanism is the ability to camouflage itself by rapidly changing colors in order to blend into their surroundings (not the case here) and evade predation. Another defense mechanism used is mimicry in which some seahorses have adapted appendages that allow them to hide among algae and corals

* Bait Ball / Fish Ball 
Moving towards us ...  

A bait ball (fish ball), occurs when small fish swarm in a tightly packed spherical formation about a common centre. It is a last-ditch defensive measure adopted by small schooling fish when they are threatened by predators.

Surrounding us ...

Passing us ...

Video by Marcel

Hogfish

LIFECYCLE
The hogfish is a sequential hermaphrodite, meaning it changes sex during different life stages; it is a protogynous, "first female" hermaphrodite; juvenile hogfish start out as female and then mature to become male. Hogfish social groups are organized into harems where one male will mate and protect a group of females in his territory.

Elkhorn Coral
With a width of (approx.) 6 foot, this specimen is actually small; given the species can reach widths of 43 feet.

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Where To Next ? ... LOAFin Around somewhere in CANADAs' East Coast.

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We're LOAFin Around 

Helen's much more photogenic, I 😎 took the photo.

... follow along, if you like.

  

Refer to our Trip164 gallery for all photography for this trip.

Cameras

#1 -  GoPro Hero 11 with TELESIN underwater housing

#2 -  iPhone 11

Unless noted, all content is by LOAFin Around. 

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