Curaçao: Oasis Coral Estate

Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean

Undersea Expeditions‍
Coral Estate Luxury Resort
February 26th – March 5th, 2022‍
Guide Lead: Koen and Melissa van de Pol‍
17 Dives; 17 hours 55 minutes

‍Get out of Chicago? Enjoy a Dutch tropical island? A VIP view of the Carnival Parade? What’s not to enjoy?!

Curacao was the last of the ABC Islands to visit, having already completed Aruba and Bonaire. The reefs around the island are protected by the National Curacao Underwater Park. Two boat dives each morning were completed from a spacious boat that easily fit everyone with room to maneuver around without being on top of each other. Plus, unlimited shore diving was available out front of the house reef. The rooms were comfortable with hot water, and everything else you would want from a hotel room.

The dive crew, were all very helpful, and efficient at getting our gear as well as all of us on and off of the boat, transporting us via the dingy from shore to the boat. While we were in the water a dive member would guide us, ensuring we returned the boat and saw all the things!

The dive sites that we visited were all very similar to each other. The all had a variety of fish, inverts and healthy corals, plus squids! One of the dives sites, The Blue Room, is a cave who’s opening is just above the water line. This causes the light to reflect into the rest of the cave filling it with a blue light. Inside of the cave was variety of lobsters, crabs, shrimp and other dark dwelling creatures.

‍Due to COVID and current restrictions the Carnival Parade was cancel. However, we were still able to go into the main town of Willemstad. The buildings and architecture are very Dutch influenced and the towns people all very friendly.

Dive 1: Manchineel
70’ for 61 minutes