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Dive Sites
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Wata Mula
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The northern most dive site on the island. Here you will find a flora and fauna that is completely different from other places around the island. A rough and original underwater world. Large morays and sometimes sharks. At Wata Mula you will find a nice cave. This site is only suited for very experienced divers
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Playa Lagun
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Located at the end of the Mushroom Forest, this snow-white beach is idyllically nested between two massive rock formations. With a swimming distance of just 150 yards from the shore to the reef, this area is perfect for shore dives. Visibility is very good - often more than 100 feet - and a ten-minute swim from the shore leads to the first drop-off of 30 feet, with a second drop-off to 150 feet. Tucked away along the southeast shore are several caves along the cliff line.
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Mushroom Forest
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One of the most beautiful dive sites of Band'Abao. Gently sloping reef is made even the more spectacular by giant mushroom-shaped star coral formations, formed by clams and sponges boring into their bases. Turtles, porcupine fish, lobsters and green morays are among the denizens in this grove. A nearby cave shelters schools of fisherlings. You haven't seen Curacao until you have been to the Mushroom Forest!
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Sponge Forest
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As you can guess, an area that boasts some of the most spectacular sponges to be found in the Caribbean. The enormous breaker sponges have cross sections measuring 4 feet, with heights varying between 3 and 6 feet. Don't forget to bring your wide-angle lens
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Black Coral Gardens
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When you swim over the drop-off, you will see large brownish corals. The reef has an angle of about 45 degrees. Sea turtles, sepias and barracudas can often be found here. Sometimes you'll see a stingray or a manta.
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Hell's Corner
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A steeply shelving reef covered with large gorgonia and pillar corals. Also you will see a lot of brain corals, tube sponges, mushroom heads, schooling jacks and sea turtles.
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The Airplane
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Just of the beach of the Sunset Waters Hotel at less than 30 feet you will find a small sportsplane. This machine of the Aero Commander type, built in 1962, marks the place where you start and end your dive at the house reef, also called "Mike's Reef".
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San Juan Bay
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An almost straight wall of coral. Here you will find all kinds of animals, like symbiose, shrimps, stars, etc. The reef is on the front side of a large cliff.
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Porto Mari
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A beautiful location with an impressive double reef, which is easy accessible. Keep a bit to the east while diving and you can't miss it. The undeep terrace is ideal for training, since it has a nice smooth sand bottom. On the beach you will find all kinds of facilities for divers, like showers and cleaning water.
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Vaersenbay .
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Vaersenbay is located between the village of St. Michiel and Bullenbaai just northwest of Willemstad. It is a site that is very well suited to enter from the beach. The sea is always calm and is also perfect for snorkling. The reef starts at 30 feet and goes on until about 100 feet
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Blauwbaai (Blue Bay)
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Blue Bay is so private, that you can only reach it by boat. A short swimm will put divers and snorkelers amongst hosts of healthy corals and reed fish covering the shelf. Experienced divers will want to drift along "the Wall" - an all most vertical drop-off.
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Seaplane Wreck
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A few hundred yard westward of the buoy of the wreck of the "Superior Producer" you'll find the remains of a seaplane. Everywhere around the wreck you will find live ammunition. Please DO NOT touch this or take it with you.
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Superior Producer
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This site is one of the finest wrecks in the Caribbean for intermediate and advanced divers. Visibility is at its best in the early morning, and you will get a good look at this overgrown wreck's residents: barracudas and groupers, coral and anemones. Explore from bow to stern. The ship sits upright.
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Oswaldo's Drop-Off
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The housereef of the Princess Beach hotel is not only easily accessible, there are also lots of tame fishes and beautiful coral formations.
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Car Pile
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The most exciting traffic jam you'll ever see. This artificial reef was constructed from old car bodies dating back to the 1940's and is a wonderful way to combine two passions.
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S.S. Oranje Nassau
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Right in front of the Seaquarium is the wreck of the Dutch steamship Oranje Nassau, wrecked about 80 years ago on the coast of Koraal Specht. The steam engines still reach the surface. You will find lots of elkcoral. At the bottom you will find a memorial stone, especially placed there for divers. It is a shallow diving spot and easily accessible from the Seaquarium.
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Jan Thiel
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Perfect for all divers and snorkelers, this calm lagoon is outlined by lush coral heads and gorgonian beds. A scenic swim rewards at a deeply overcut ledge formed 5000 years ago. A large shallow plateau leads to a coral covered wall where lots of reef fish like chromis, damsel fish, angel fish and rock beauties make their home.
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Lost Anchor
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On the western side of the Caracasbay there is an impressive drop-off, beautifully overgrown with gorgonias and corals. Here you can find an anchor cable of an unknown length. Divers have followed it to 300 feet and not found the end.
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Tugboat
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A great photo opportunity with your dive buddy as pilot in the wheel house. This quarter century old wreck sits in just 17 feet of water and is covered with coral. Morays, trumpetfish, angel fish and tube coral have all booked passage.
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Punt'i Piku
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Punt'i Piku is close to the Spanish Water. Just of the coast on the left side you will find a sandbank covered with firecoral, elkcoral and gorgonia. The reef itself is pretty steep and goes down to about 90 feet.
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