Top 15 Best Dive Sites in Curacao in 2024

Probably the top dive site around Curacao, the name Watamula comes from the word “water mill” in dutch. The name refers to the two currents which meet here bringing together a wide range of marine species. The topography of this dive site is a fantastic playground for marine life and features extensive growths of soft corals, tunnels between hard corals, gorgonian sea fans catching nutrients from the currents, and a spectacular pillar collar. The currents mean this can be a fantastic dive destination for a drift dive, which allows you to cover a long stretch of reef with minimal effort.

• Best dive site around the island
• Large amount of sea turtles
• Enormous biodiversity and density of fish species
• Healthy and thriving coral
• Drift dive from a boat

What you will see: This dive site has an enormous range of healthy corals in a range of corals. There are soft, and hard coral growths covering the underwater landscape. The thriving reef is also teeming with schooling fish along with reef fish. Sea turtles cruise through the area.

This gently sloping reef presents diverse with a wide array of sponge, soft, and hard corals. There is also a large sandy plateau which proves an easy dive for beginner divers, while the currents tend to be mild with constant good visibility. The plateau has rubble with some large coral heads which act as a nursery for juvenile fish.

• Great dive for identifying coral sponges
• Lots of macro life with colorful corals everywhere
• Fantastic spot for photographers

What you will see:

The highlight of this dive is the extraordinary variety of sponges. In contrast to corals which are complex, many celled organisms, sponges are simple creatures with no tissues. Sponges can grow in both fresh, and saltwater, and come in an impressive array of colors, shapes, and sizes. To capture their true beauty, grab a torch to fully illuminate their colors.

This is one of the dive sites that regularly has current, therefore it is better suited for advanced and experience divers. Its claim to fame however, is one of the largest pillar coral formations in the Caribbean. Pillar corals are found in the western Atlantic Ocean and resemble fingers or clusters of cigars growing straight up from the sea floor.

• Large gardens of pillar coral
• Frequent current so advanced certification is recommended
• Fantastic spot attracting a myriad of fish

What you will see:

The coral gardens are mostly spread out over the shallow section of the dive, however there are many drop offs along which you can cruise by. In the deep blue, there are many species of large jacks, groupers, and barracudas who swim here to hunt and chase smaller pelagic fish.

If you are an advanced diver who loves wrecks, then this is an absolute must do on your trip to curacao. The Superior Producer is the best wreck dive in the Caribbean and is at a depth of 100 ft (30m). The 200 ft cargo ship sunk in 1977 and now has become a beautiful artificial reef attracting marine life from the deep blue. Divers can enter the cargo holds and swim around the interior of the wreck. One of the high lights is the wheelhouse which is at a depth of 80 feet.

• A fantastic deep dive site
• Cargo wreck from the year 1977
• Abundant fish life circling around the wreck.

What you will see:

Since the wreck has been sitting on the sand for almost fifty years it has grown a microcosm of reef life on top of it. The anemones and orange cup sponges have attracted invertebrates, reef fish, and the eerie silhouettes of barracudas can be seen hanging around the wreck itself. If you’re keen on exploring more wrecks within the Caribbean, check out our guide on the best dive sites in Barbados.

Do you love caves? Because then paradise is a paradise dive site for you. The cave is the home to many sea turtles and a thriving reef with hardly any other boats or divers around. To reach this dive site, you need to travel on a boat after which you can spend your surface interval on a nearby beach.

• Boat dive to a little visited spot
• A cave dive, so bring your torch!
• Plenty of sea turtles cruising around

What you will see:

The beauty of caves is that with patience, you will be able to see many critters that usually hide from the light. Keep your eyes peeled for the reflective eyes of invertebrates, cave dwelling big eyes, and the occasional sleeping turtle if you do visit at night. The reef all around this dive site is healthy and has extensive and complex coral structures intertwining and fighting for space in this rich community.

Tugboat is one of the most popular dive sites in Curacao, as it’s shallow and ideal for beginner divers and snorkelers alike. The small depth at which the sunk tugboat sinks, means divers can enjoy long dives and non-diving members of the travel team can catch glimpses of spectacular marine life. There is also a near by pier, which is worth stopping at since that is where many creatures hide.

• Shallow dive site perfect for snorkelers
• Artificial reef created on a sunken tugboat
• Great array of macro marine life

What you will see:

In this shallow dive site, you will have the chance to spot a sea horse, octopus, scorpion fish and other masters of camouflage. There are also large schools of tarpon, pelagic fish, and shimmering schools of fusiliers.

This is a great dive site for divers and snorkelers alike, since its easily accessible from the shore and features stunning coral and marine life. If you are a macro photographer, this is definitely a spot to bring your camera and torches to see what critters you can capture with your lense. If you leave the car at the beach, make sure to not leave any valuables in the car because car burglary occurs at the parking.

• Shore dive ideal for beginners or snorkelers
• Wide array of macrofauna
• Old decaying shark fence overgrown with coral

What you will see:

This dive spot is famous for the large amount of frogfish, eels, flounders, sea horses, and octopus hiding among the coral reefs. The old shark fence has now been over grown with sponges, soft corals, and sea fans.

The boat ride out to this dive site is roughly an hour and a half, as the reef is 15 miles off the coast of Southeast Curacao. The little Curacao, which is what ‘klein’ means, is an uninhabited island so the surrounding waters are pristinely clear. The dive site promises to deliver spectacular coral reefs, fantastic visibility, and incredible array of marine life. It is a tiny desolate volcanic rock which is encompassed by above water, and under water life!

• Isolated island with incredibly healthy and biodiverse reefs
• Massive megafauna swimming all around
• An hour a half long boat ride from the mainland

What you will see:

This isolated island attracts megafauna including the Mola mola also known as the sunfish, which is the heaviest bony fish in the world. There are also turtles cruising, and occasionally you will be able to spot a variety of shark species in the dark blue. A particular favorite at this dive site, are hammer heads sharks.

When you jump underwater in the mushroom forest, you will be met with an alien landscape as far as you can see. The great visibility, shallow depth, and warm water will just add to the fantastic view of the endless view of sprouting mushrooms. The coral structures around here are unique and resemble fungi, however, feature a wide array of colors and attract an abundance of fish life.

• Truly unique mushroom like topography of coral growth
• Boat dive into easy dive conditions
• The extensive coral reef coverage means you have to be careful about finning

What you will see:

Try and spot how many different types of coral you can see on this dive. Boulder coral, staghorn coral, soft sponge corals, and whip corals are just some of the easier identified growths. Reef fish are also plentiful here, as are turtles, and moray eels hiding in cracks and crevice’s in the complex coral reef structures.

Coral Restoration Foundation is an organization which started off the coast of Florida and works to maximize the growth of corals, to help outplant corals onto damaged reef. They focus on trialing different growing methods and preparing for the more frequent bleaching events that will be associated with rising sea temperatures. They also provide education opportunities to local communities, outreach programs, and studies into coral reef resilience.

• Support coral reef restoration projects
• Check out a dive site to see how ocean warriors are working to protect reefs
• A great spot to learn about the asexual reproduction of coral

What you will see:

The coral reef foundation has created Christmas like tree underwater structures which feature coral fragments hanging off like decorations. These fragments which were taken from resilient mother colonies, are now hanging in the nutrient rich current water so they can grow. The mid water positioning means their growth is accelerated as they do not have to worry about competition from other coral, predators cannot reach them, and the small coral fragments focus most of the energy gained from food for accelerated growth.

A pristine reef stretching from the eastern most point of Curacao that requires a boat journey to reach, provides some of the most beautiful dives in the country. There is immaculate corals, and a large amount of megafauna that is attracted to this spot. There is a spot, where the coral reefs have combined over time to create an impressive natural bridge structure.

• Can only be reached by boat
• Often done as a trip in combination to Klein Curacao
• Opportunity to see sharks and rays

What you will see:

This dive site is popular for the vast number of gorgonian fans which cover the dive site, catching nutrients from the currents passing through. There are also many healthy hard corals and sponges growing sporadically over the colorful topography. Large schools of tarpon and another pelagic swim around. It is also a spot where diverse frequently spot reef sharks, eagle rays, and barracudas in the deep blue.

This wall of coral is small, however is still a worthy dive site to add to your list. It has a large amount of overhangs and sections where marine life like to hide, and with fantastic visibility and mild currents, it proves a fantastic dive site for people of any scuba certification.

• Wall dive featuring a large amount of healthy coral
• Nooks and crannies where marine life hide
• Great spot for photographers

What you will see:

The crevice’s and coral over hangs make this reef a particular favorite for reef, schooling fish. You will find many groupers and trout hiding, grunts, and soldier fish swimming around. Soldier fish and damsels are very protective of their young, so if you find yourself near their eggs, you might get viciously attacked by the small CD sized fish.

This dive site is located on the eastern side of the Santa Barbara resort, just near the golf course. Divers enjoy heading here to collect gold balls off the sandy plateau while enjoying spotting macro life in the water. Nearby there is a drop off from the sandy area into deeper waters where hard corals have come together to form impressive formations.

• Dive site near a golf course for golf ball collection
• Easy, shallow, macro dive sites
• As you may imagine, there are eels hiding in the crevice’s

What you will see:

The steep drop off features a wide arrange of hard corals amongst which reef fish hide. If you have keen eyes, you will be able to spot small invertebrates, eels, scorpion fish, along with butterfly fish, surgeon fish and usual reef inhabitants.

Large spans of healthy reef, fantastic visibility, and pristine diving conditions. What else could you possibly want from a dive site? Smokeys is another spot around Curacao that is seldom visited and therefore has some of the most untouched coral reefs in the world. It is a 30-minute boat ride from the main island and gives divers the opportunity to see bigger creatures. Also, a fantastic drift dive where you will fly towards the east!

• 30-minute boat ride from mainland
• Isolated dive site which attracts sharks and sting rays
• Fantastic year-round visibility

What you will see:

Since this dive site is a little further away than many of the other frequently visited spots around Curacao, it has the added advantage of less tourism and thriving coral reefs. Its proximity to deep blue drop offs also means that sharks and sting rays are frequently spotted here.

Along with an enormous number of beautiful soft and hard corals, this dive site is famous for the large variety of fish life. Photographers are fans of this site as the huge schools of fish provide a fun challenge and contrasting background to the colorful reef.

• Dive spot where wild dolphins have been spotted
• Frequent sightings of turtles and another megafauna
• Healthy and thriving coral reef

What you will see:

This dive site is best known for fish traffic jams from the sheer volume of marine life cruising above the coral. You will be able to spot everything from big jacks chasing bait balls, Caribbean Chromies, Creole Wrasses, Southern Rays, Green Turtles, and the occasional passing shark. If you grab your torch and peek under the coral reef formations, you will also have the chance to spot scorpion fish, sleeping sharks, and octopus.