Ingredients:

Crystal turquoise water warmed to 27°C (81°F) in February to 29°C (84°F) in summer.

3mm-5mm short wetsuit.

Spectacular wrecks, colorful reefs and impressive walls.

Gently stir in an abundance of varied and vibrant marine life.

This recipe results in a luscious full course meal of countless vibrant species of sea life, a large variety of magnificent dive sites and ocean encounters that ensures every level of diver complete satisfaction.

Curaçao boasts over 100 dive sites that are diverse enough for visitors to explore a variety of delicious dive experiences and bring home life-long memories. Roughly half of the island’s magnificent dive sites are accessible from shore and for those who wish to explore easy shore diving.

Shore diving is where divers don’t need to venture to a site by boat.  They merely don their gear, grab a buddy, and head off into wild blue yonder. Should you wish to explore this type of dive, local dive shop such as Ocean Encounters and Atlantis can offer you the diving experince of a lifetime. One can also purchase a Curaçao dive guide with explicit directions on how to find any of the dozens of shore accessible dive sites.

In addition, shore dives also allow divers to customize their diving experience. Divers have total flexibility, diving whenever they desire, going down to whatever depth their hearts desire, limited only by their airflow. It’s an easy way to experience much of Curaçao’s hidden treasures.

A unique Curaçao offering is the Mushroom Forest, a stunning landscaped garden filled with mushroom shaped coral structures. The mushroom shapes are the result of the coral heads having been bio-eroded at their base to narrow columns by boring clams and sponges and they make great hiding places for tiny sea creatures. As the Forest can be disorientating, a compass can come in very handy, or go with an experienced local guide. Numerous species of fish and coral can be spotted here; flower corals, giant brain corals, anemones, turtles, porcupine fish, smooth trunkfish, yellowtail snapper, parrotfish, grouper, spotted drums, spotted morays, green morays, lobster and conch.

If you are visiting Curaçao during September or October, you can experience one of the most incredible natural events in the diving world known as “coral spawning”. This is the phenomenon during which several coral species (but also other organisms) release their gonadal secretions into the water column at the same time under the influence of environmental circumstances such as water temperature and a very special position of the moon. It’s truly a live sex show not to be missed that usually begins 3 days after the full moon in September and October and goes on for approximately 5 or 6 days.

This delicious recipe for Curaçao’s diving bliss serves just a small scrumptious bite of the tasty diversity available to divers in Curaçao.  Time to explore and experience the richness of Curaçao’s simmering delectable treats. So what are you waiting for? Grab your gear and have a taste.

Click here for some of the best dive sites easily accessible for novice to advanced divers.