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Sunset
Waters Curaçao Given a history of outstanding meteorological karma complaining may be unseemly, but this Thanksgiving the gods of weather frowned upon me. In mid-September Hurricane Ivan lamentably flattened both the venerable Cayman Diving Lodge and our group’s reservations of many month’s standing. After a mad scramble, we booked at Sunset Waters Beach Resort on Curacao. This island, whose annual rainfall averages 16 inches, then got about ½ of it in the days before and after our arrival. Despite some leaky rooms, a burst dam on the resort’s road and somewhat reduced vis, it was perversely consoling to know that Bonaire, where we considered going, was getting an even more appalling drenching. In the end, there was enough sun and scuba to make everyone look forward to a return visit. Sandwiched between Aruba and Bonaire, about 45 miles off the NE coast of Venezuela, Curacao is arid, stony and covered with cacti and sear scrub brush. However, following the rains the island’s small mountains and rolling hills were so jarringly verdant and flowering as to make me wonder if perhaps I’d somehow mistakenly landed on St. Lucia. Upon landing at the sleepy old Hato International Airport, one notices the beginnings of a new facility next door. Moving through a perfunctory immigration check and a customs section so casual as to be nearly unrecognizable, a A/C van was waiting to transport me to the resort. Slowed by sharp turns in the narrow road, washouts from the recent torrential rains and “Curacao cows” (goats), the ride is a leisurely one. My kind of entry. The old Coral Cliffs, which had lain fallow for a couple of years, was purchased by Chicago area investors about four years ago and given new life as Sunset Waters. Located on the NW side of the island, about 40 minutes from the capital of Willemstad, and 30 from the airport, there is little development—only a handful of private residences and Habitat Curacao a few miles away. Most importantly for scuba, it is the closest resort to the primo dive sites. Reception is a few steps from the drop off point where your luggage is whisked to the room and dive gear to the shop below. The office contains a PC for guest use at $US5 for 15 minutes, a bit pricey as it’s a slow phone connection. Right outside is a pay phone for which the resort sells calling cards. There is a small, adjoining shop that carries toiletries, batteries, candy, snack food, T-shirts and a few gift items. Best to bring whatever you need as the selection is limited and it’s a long trip to the nearest stores. The dive shop, Sunset Divers, is owned by Mike and Michelle Day who recently took over from the previous op. Apparently Ann Marie and Harry Hall’s Easy Divers was a bit too relaxed even by laid back Caribbean island standards. Their willingness to do such things as drop a first visit solo diver at a site, depart and then return to pick him up at an agreed upon time struck the resort as excessively “Easy.” Imagine that? Down an incline (later to be known as “that damn hill”) and across a flat sandy area, the shop is small with little for sale beyond the usual dive shirts. They do, however, rent full range of gear as well as digital cameras. The items that I saw looked to be in adequate condition. A super feature is the secured 24-hour gear storage and drying room to which divers are given a key. Stocked with filled tanks, you can shore dive yourself into a nitrogen coma facilitated by a lovely little shore dive right out front. Members of our group variously dove it as early as 6AM and as late as 9PM, and most were quite taken with its convenience, varied marine life and navigability. Load you gear into one of the shop's yellow beach wheelbarrows any time of the day or night, push it the 70 yards to the cove protected by stone sea walls, gear up and swim about 60 yards straight out. On your right at about 25-30' is the cockpit of an old Aero Commander, its wings laying somewhat farther down on a gently sloping wall, while to the left is Mike's Reef. It is best dived at 35-60', but goes to at least 200'. Lots of photo ops, including seahorses rumored to be around the cockpit. Finding one’s way out and back could hardly be easier as the route is marked by a series of hands along the upper part of the reef, one with a large finger pointing to the inlet of the cove. Even I didn't get lost. And, there is more good shore diving to be had on Curacao, particularly the house reef at Habitat Curacao, Playa Lagun (Discover Diving), Playa Kalki (All West Diving) and other small beaches as you drive north toward Westpunt, a town with some charming little bars and restaurants sporting bargain prices. Leave time to partake on the drive back. Sunset Divers has two boats, one limited to 20 divers, the other to 8. Day Dreamer is 44’ with twin inboard diesels, a stern platform for giant stride entries and 2 ladders. It is largely shaded and has dry storage up front and two camera rinse bins at the stern. It boasts a freshwater shower, but alas it’s not operational. Day Tripper is 31’ with twin 100hp outboards. It has two ladders, canopy shade and limited dry storage. Entry is by back-roll. The weak of bladder or bowel please take note—neither has a marine head. The former craft is in a good state of repair and carries a radio, O2 & first aid kit, although it was discovered after divers surfaced in high current using a nematocyst encrusted mooring line that said kit contained no vinegar, meat tenderizer or other neutralizers on board. Fat fingers, swollen palms and gripes were evident for several days following that sad event. As gloves are not prohibited or discouraged here, so it’s smart to shove a pair into a BC pocket just in case. EAN is available at $US12/fill or $US120/week (both plus tax) for unlimited tanks. Although they advertise blends up to 40%, they have a stick system and fill the tanks on top of whatever gas a cylinder already contains, so don’t plan on ordering a specific blend. Over the course of the week my mixtures ranged from 31.5 to 35.7. Be sure to analyze each tank and readjust your computer. Given the nature of the dive profiles in this area, EAN is not necessary to extend bottom times or add a safety margin, although the oldsters in our group did to person swear by it salubrious effects on geezerhood. And, on the matter of fills, these mostly were in the 2,800-3,000 lb range, but a number were as scanty as 2,700. Regarding the op staff, Michelle was back in the US and Mike, whom I recall from his days on the crew at the Cayman Diving Lodge, was rarely around. He is pleasant young man who appears disposed to please, but I saw him only twice during my week and he seemed to be preoccupied with other matters. Pre-arrival emails went unanswered for days, and sometimes unanswered period. For example, it took me several emails just to determine the exact cost of nitrox. In planning such events as a 3 dive day including a distant site, I got many mixed messages from the staff. Lynn, a rather humorless and earnest office hand, DM and boat captain sans license, gave me so many renditions I eventually had to have the resort manger call Mike at home in the evening to get to come over and sort things out. IMHO, clouds may gather on this op’s horizon if he doesn’t become more actively involved in day to day activities. On the sunny side, there’s Kevin, the oldest of the crew and a jocular and capable shop manager, and DMs Kurt and Bernd, tall, thin, likeable young chaps who switched the diver’s gear (unless asked not to), took roll call and accompanied us on a number of dives and fielded questions. Their relative reticence provided quite a contrast to captain and DM Carlos, who was voluble, in your face and very “enthusiastic.” Well meaning and nice enough, his attempts at humor in the form of poorly told jokes and antics did not amuse a number of the group. To his credit, he knows where the critters are and showed us a yellow longlure frogfish, a pair of black seahorses and attracted a large pod of juvenile dolphin for us to watch and snorkel with. At a site named Rediho
City, Carlos pulled one of his stunts--driving off and pretending to leave
some divers, including me, at sea. While I must admit I found this briefly
humorous in a juvenile sort of way, the more somber in our group found
it irksome. Underwater there were grey flannel spotted soapfish, deep
red bigeyes and freshly burnished glasseye snappers. Looking deep into
crevices, one finds barred cardinalfish and flamefish, along with blackbar
solderfish and longjaw squirrelfish. However, this site, as well as some
others, could stand with an antilitter campaign and good diver clean up
at its more shoreward extension. The accumulation of bottles, cans and
Styrofoam cups casts a cloud over otherwise pleasing diving. For land accommodations, in ascending order of spaciousness you can have a standard, superior oceanfront, jr. suite, or one or two bedroom loft. I looked at each and would have been happy with any. All but the standards have a small balcony and nearly all have ocean view. If you get a standard, ask for one of the renovated rooms as they have new furniture and large tile floors. The jr. suites are very pleasant and roomy, and the 3 double bedroom lofts are like nice apartments. One two bedroom unit has 4 single beds in one room and a king in the other with an adjoining bathroom. Split 6 ways, this would be a real bargain. I chose a pleasing one bedroom loft. A spiral staircase (watch your head) wends up to a king bed, dresser and closet. Downstairs is a futon/couch, dresser, tables and chairs, kitchenette, phone and TV. Both levels have their own AC and ceiling fan with individual controls. The kitchenette seemed superfluous given that the resort is an all-inclusive with long serving hours. Moreover, it was not stocked with a single cooking or eating utensil. Located downstairs, the bathroom was quite small, but had a hair dryer and large shower with a sluggish drain--yuck. Being a bit of a neat freak, I appreciated that the unit was kept clean and bed linens and towels changed daily. When I asked for more towels, they appeared almost instantly. From the balcony, I had a direct view of the multi-hued blue ocean as well as the resort's nude beach section which, mercifully, was only sparsely used during my stay (it doesn’t exactly draw the youthful and nubile crowd.) However, things are very different in September when two weeks are dedicated to naturist activities. If you go then, be prepared to dine and dive with a boat full of folks who don't need Cheez Whiz or hot dogs to attract the grouper. My biggest carp about the room was rain drops kept fallin’ on my head during heavy evening downpours. There was also evidence of leakage in some of the other units. Since rain is scarce in Curacao, however, fixing the roof is probably low on the resort's to-do list. When you’re not sleeping, eating, diving or partying, there’s an 18 hole miniature golf course, kayaks, floats, pedal boats, lounges, chairs and palapas along the beach, and a large swimming pool with a swim-up bar. Nearby is Christoffel National Park which has good hiking and the resort’s minivan can be scheduled for trips into Willemstad. Like every diver, I relish a good meal after scuba and the food was toothsome, plentiful and dished up on an airy open patio with boffo views of the water. Breakfast was a hot buffet with bacon, sausage, toast, bagels, English muffins, rolls, and eggs and omelettes made to order, as well as cold cereal. For lunch, which is primarily ala carte, there is at least one hot soup, a meat and fish selection as well an Italian dish. Hamburgers, ham and cheese and club sandwiches, and hot dogs can be ordered. Supper, also mostly ala carte, consists of a meat (such as steak, prime rib or pork chop) and a fish (such as mahi-mahi or snapper) offering, along with a nightly special or two (such as paella). There is always a salad bar. One evening at the beach bar and grill, the Savage Turtle, they did a barbecue with chicken, pork and steak. There is fruit and a variety of cakes for dessert, but my recommendation is to ask for ice cream. It’s Lover’s brand, made on the island, and sinfully creamy and delicious. The tables are attended to by a stable group who, as anyone who has eaten at Habitat Curacao can attest, served relatively quickly by island standards and made good efforts to accommodate guest preferences. The real golden rays of Sunset Waters are the management, John and Gaynor Hunter. A Californian and a Brit, they bend over backward to make your stay a pleasant one. Want a liquor not on the shelf? If it’s to be found on the island (sadly, Patron is not), they’ll have it by the next day at the latest. Something wrong with your room? They’ll move you, often to an upgrade. Want coffee in the room? Soon a percolator and a pound of grind will show up. And, refreshingly, for an all-inclusive there is a minimum of nickel-and-diming. No extra for premium liquors and only the lobster (order a day or two in advance) and paella carried surcharges. As an indication of the attitude here, due to the rains no fresh lobster was available, only frozen. While it is very unlikely that we would have known, John told us and served it at no extra charge. And, when two of the group did not care for the paella, they took it off their bills. Moving north of the
resort, dive sites include Hell's Corner, Black Coral Gardens, Sponge
Forest, Rediho City, Mushroom Forest, Playa Lagun, Alice in Wonderland
and Watamula. To the south are San Juan Baai, Porto Mari, Vaersenbaai,
Blaubaai, Double Reef, Superior Producer, Oswaldo’s Drop-Off, Car
Pile, SS Oranje Nassau, Jan Thiel, Lost Anchor, Tugboat, Punt’I
Piku and Klein Curacao. Scuba water temps ranged from a low of 79 underneath a ubiquitous thermocline to a high of 84, although most of the time my temp gauge hovered around 80 degrees. The heavy rains lowered the vis from its usual state of over 125’. Nonetheless, with the exception of the odd plume of rain driven mud closer to the surface where vis could drop to 10-20’, it ranged anywhere from 60 to 100’. And, with the exception of a rogue rush of 1 ½ knots on Sponge Forest that left many of the group wondering who had been huffing on their octo while they weren’t looking, currents were mild to nonexistent. We tried a couple of drift dives and trust me—Curacao’s tepid rides are no threat to Cozumel. Diving here tends to take place around 60’ and above, although for those who need a depth fix the gently sloping wall along this stretch of the island has sections that take you to 200’ and well below. The nature of most sites allows for gradual ascents up the reef with plenty to see in the 15-20’ range. Barring an emergency, there simply is no excuse for inadequate off-gassing. If you’re looking for pelagics and big creature action, Curacao most decidedly will disappoint. With the exception of several small turtles and a lone southern stingray, the biggest creatures we spotted were a number of quite impressive porcupinefish. On the other hand, if you want to see the most robust and prolific corals in the greater Caribbean, bar none, some in strange and unusual formations, and pretty much the gamut of tropicals in Humann’s Reef Fish ID text, you’re at the right place. On nearly every dive you’ll see large numbers of trumpetfish in various sizes and color phases, as well as slender filefish hiding in the sea rods and adult spotted drums patrolling their grottoes. Be on the alert for the occasional olive bodied and iridescent blue-spotted coronetfish. Hamlets also are well represented and I saw barred, yellowtail, black and butter species. On the other hand, grouper and angelfish are in strikingly short supply. This must be Christmas tree worm central for the Caribbean as they festoon coral formations in rainbows of color. However, the brightest lights of the diving are the luxuriant and healthy corals. These include stony varieties such as pillar, finger, yellow pencil, lettuce, knobby, brain, flower, solitary disc, Atlantic mushroom, boulder and great star along with some very photogenic elkhorn. In fact, I can’t think of a location that even approaches Curacao’s stately stands. Soft varieties include lush black corals at surprisingly shallow depths, and graceful wire and sea rod corals. My favorite site was the fabled Mushroom Forest, both the flat and deep sections. Entering the water and floating down to the start of the reef at about 40’, passed large schools of brown chromis nibbling on plankton and frenetic Creole wrasse flashing their impressive purple and yellow coloration. Gazing down, a seemingly endless vista of mountainous star coral parades into the distance. The bases of some formations have been eroded by boring clams and sponges, giving the site its accurately descriptive name. Nestled in the innumerable coral heads are corkscrew, knobby, giant and branching anemones. These harbor spotted, squat anemone and Pederson cleaner shrimp and are sometimes watched over by yellowline arrow crab sentries. Peering out from their holes, tiny secretary blennies warily eye a variety of gobies including sharknose and peppermint. The formations make ideal homes for a booming eel population that includes spotted, green, purple mouth, chain, golden spotted, sharptail and goldentail varieties. They seemed to take little notice of our awkward passing and some were free swimming in broad daylight. In the shadows between corals, watch for copper sweepers strutting as if prideful of the bronze decoration on their chests. On Sponge Forest expect
to find exceptional stands of tube sponges, some reaching 5-6’ in
length. Hovering above the sand flats are schools of reef squid with deeply
inquisitive eyes that assiduously track the diver from a modest distance.
I was fascinated by a juvenile Puddingwife and enjoyed its baby blue and
gold stripes and bars and ocellated black spots. Our camera buffs loved
the ops on this site. The downtown area is a typical tourist/cruiser venue and must see shops include Mr. Placement--NOT. But, there are some bargains to be had on shoes and clothing. Check out the selection of locally produced Curacao liquors. The chocolate is quite tasty. All in all, one visit to the capital was more than enough for me. On balance, I very
much enjoyed Curacao--the ambiance of the resort, easy shore diving, relaxed
boat diving and outrageous corals teeming with small marine life. I wouldn’t
hesitate to return, but would pick the dryer months of the spring and
summer. © Doc Vikingo Back
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