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| Image by Cary Wien |
I've had many careers over the years and have always tried to find a career doing something that I love. As a dive master and dive charter boat captain it was commonplace to field questions from divers about my job. Questions and comments such as "What a great job you have," "It must be nice to dive every day," "How do you get a job like this?" "Do you actually get paid to do this?" were all common on the dive boat. My customers probably envisioned me guiding dives and driving the boat but never loading and unloading tanks, maintaining the gear or performing greasy maintenance on the diesel engines. Don't get me wrong, I still loved to dive those three or four hours a day when I was guiding dives; it was the other six or seven hours that were work.
I'm not immune to career envy. My envy has most often been directed toward dive and travel journalists. I have always envisioned them simply enjoying the dive travel that I love so much, taking some pictures and writing a little story about their trip. Thanks to my wife, Mary, and Sport Diver magazine I recently had a chance to see for myself what it's like to be a dive travel journalist.
Our destination was the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Our hosts included Sunset Waters Beach Resort, Habitat Curaçao and Breezes all-inclusive resort. Acting as a combination of guide and mentor were Ty Sawyer, editor of Sport Diver magazine, and Amos Nachoum, world-renowned wildlife photographer and photo expedition guide.
My usual pre-travel research was replaced on this trip by an assignment sheet from Ty Sawyer. This document provided specific guidelines as to what was expected from a dive travel journalist, including deadlines, general story concept and a photographic shot list. My research for this trip turned out to be not so different from what I normally do. Armed with the knowledge of what photos and information I would need, I actually felt more organized and prepared than usual as the trip approached.
Only a short 2.5-hour hop from Miami, Curaçao's Hato Airport is clean and efficient. Customs was quite painless and our rental car was literally a few steps from the terminal exit. One word of warning: Be prepared for a lack of street signs, which makes car travel somewhat challenging. Most streets have names on the map but no signs, particularly outside the Willemstad area. Most major intersections outside the city are circles and have directional signs, so you're OK as long as you know which town you wish to head toward. I was lucky to have a good GPS and an experienced navigator in the passenger seat.
After an unplanned but brief detour into downtown Willemstad we arrived at our first destination, Sunset Waters Beach Resort, on the southwestern coast of the island. Sunset Waters is a quiet seaside resort with beautiful ocean views and a friendly and helpful staff. At check-in we were greeted by Jim Hunter, the resort's general manager, who not only escorted us to our room but also gave us an extensive overview of the resort's facilities. Before heading to dinner we checked in with Sunset Divers, the first-class dive operation onsite at the resort. We were assigned hangers and baskets to store our gear during our stay. Each morning our BC and regulator were taken from our hangers and set up on the first tank aboard the Day Dreamer. We were also introduced to the sign-up board, where we chose which boat and dive trips we wanted to reserve for the week.
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Our first night at Sunset Waters began with a seafood buffet on the beach, where we met Ty Sawyer. After several trips to an excellent salad bar, I sampled and enjoyed fish, shrimp and crab cakes from the buffet. After dessert we were treated to a live fire-dance show. As the night wound down, the last few of our party arrived on the late flight and we were introduced to Amos Nachoum, our photographic guide.
The following morning we gathered for briefings by Ty and Amos detailing our itinerary for the week. After all our questions were answered we boarded the Day Dreamer and headed out for our first dives. We headed northwest along the coast from the resort. The cobalt-blue seas beneath the boat quickly made way on the starboard side to an ever-lightening turquoise bottom and on up to narrow beaches with short, rocky cliffs above. Our dive sites this first day were Santa Cruz and the Mushroom Forest.
I was impressed with the healthy condition of the reefs and the abundance of marine life. Large mounds of giant star corals dominated the shallow waters at these two sites, and Curaçao's signature orange elephant ear sponges were common below 60 feet. At Mushroom Forest the star corals formed in large mushroom-like shapes that give this site its name and provide surreal reefscapes. One of the highlights of the trip was a surface-interval stop at a swimmers' cave between the two sites, which provided not only an interesting snorkel into the cave but also an exciting (although modest) cliff-diving opportunity.
With GPS in hand we chose to explore the northwestern end of the island that afternoon. Stops at Playa Lagun, Playa Jeremi and Playa Floris revealed beaches with easy access to near-shore reefs. Our scenic trip culminated at Westpunt, a quiet little fishing village on the northwestern tip of Curaçao. We returned via the northern road, stopping occasionally to view the rocky, surf-beaten northern coastline.
We returned to Sunset Waters in time to board the Day Dreamer for a night dive. The dive site was a mere 15-minute ride from the resort. It was called Lost Anchor, but I'll always remember it as the squid dive. By far the largest and most colorful Caribbean reef squid I have ever seen were common on this dive. Over the course of our 45-minute dive I saw no fewer than three separate groups of these squid.
Our second day of diving on the Day Dreamer took us to College Reef and Hell's Corner. Both sites were sloping wall dives, the 45-degree slope beginning at approximately 40 feet and continuing beyond 100 feet. Large plate corals, purple stovepipe sponges and elephant ear sponges were the predominant feature of the these sites. Spiny lobster, peacock flounder and spotted morays proved intriguing photographic subjects to me, but these sites offered an abundant variety of marine-life choices.
Our next topside foray was an impromptu tour of several historical churches on the island. Hofi Pastor and San Willibrordo churches were well worth the trip. Hofi Pastor boasted an impressive cemetery filled with above-ground crypts reminiscent of those in old New Orleans. Plaster and masonry sculptures and brass plaques adorned most of the crypts. The most impressive church of all was in Willemstad itself, on the Punda side. The Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Its floors are sand but its pews are beautiful hand-carved mahogany, and it has numerous silver and crystal chandeliers and a massive pipe organ. Don't miss the Jewish Cultural Historical Museum at the synagogue, which chronicles Jewish culture on Curaçao for more than two and a half centuries.
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Our next dive day began with two leisurely dives from the beach at Sunset Waters. The site was called Airplane Wreck but the ultralight plane was little more than a marker in the sand guiding us to the northern edge of the sloping reef. Sharptail eels, spotted morays, black drums and banded coral shrimp all made excellent subjects, and macro subjects were also abundant.
Lunch on this day would be eaten in our car from a box. Ty and Amos informed us this was a common necessity and we confirmed this fact by observing all the junk-food wrappers and soda cans on the floor of the car. The dives would turn out to be well worth the rush. We arrived at Habitat Curaçao and checked in with Easy Divers for our afternoon dives. We were greeted by Anne Marie Vermeer, owner of Easy Divers, and soon found ourselves headed for a new batch of dive sites.
The first site was named Long Beach, where we drifted along a rather steep wall that dropped to well below 100 feet. Large and dramatic elephant ear sponges occurred slightly deeper here than on previous reefs, most between 80 and 110 feet. Black coral, sea rods and sea whips were all common as well. The second site was called Cas Abou, unique for its unusual descent line. The heavy rope extended all the way from shore to the mooring where our boat tied up. It would provide easy access from shore to this excellent dive site. Macro photography was the perfect choice for the site: Ambonian shrimp, Pederson shrimp, sharknose gobies and a juvenile trunkfish were among the many tiny but interesting creatures we encountered here.
On our return to Habitat Curaçao we headed to Ocean's, the onsite restaurant, for dinner and a great view of the sunset. Habitat Curaçao is a true divers' resort – the layout and amenities all seem to be designed with the traveling diver in mind. Anne Marie joined us for dinner and we all shared tall tales of our diving adventures. After dinner our merry band of aspiring photojournalists was off again to our final resort, Breezes, an all inclusive SuperClubs resort just outside Willemstad.
In contrast to Sunset Waters, a quiet seaside resort, and diver-oriented Habitat Curaçao, Breezes was reminiscent of a luxury cruise ship. A rock-climbing wall, a circus trapeze and a maze of interconnected swimming pools all sat alongside a beach with lounge chairs and cabana tables extending into knee-deep water. The beach is protected by a jetty, which makes lunch in the surf most enjoyable.
The following morning we checked into Ocean Encounters diving, located just behind the trapeze and only a short stroll from our rooms. Our first dive was the Superior Producer, a freighter that sank in 1977 in 100 feet of water just outside the entrance to Willemstad Harbor.
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While rumor had it this could be a challenging dive due to a combination of the depth and frequently moderate currents, we got lucky and were blessed with perfect visibility and virtually no current. The wreck sits upright with the mooring line attached to its bow and the stern sitting up current (when the current is running). While the sand is at 100 feet, this wreck can be enjoyed at 70 to 80 feet. Take a light to reveal the many colors of cup corals and other soft corals on the foredeck and the aft deck superstructure. Our decompression stop was spent at Fort Beekenberg; built in 1703 to protect the inner bay, this fort retains four iron cannons and an excellent view.
Our next site was called Saba, and we moored near the shallow wreck of an intact tugboat. Our divemaster touted himself as an excellent seahorse hunter, so when I saw Ty and Amos following him I elected to do the same. After a brisk five-minute swim I was able to upgrade the seahorse from mythological status to just very rare on my list of creatures I want to see in the wild. On the return swim the tugboat provided an excellent backdrop for a wide-angle diver portrait.
Friday is always a great night to go out on the town. We started the night by meeting Christian, co-owner of Ocean Encounters, at Equus restaurant. This was quite possibly the most unique dining experience of my life. Equus is only open on Friday nights, and our dinner was ordered at 6:30, almost an hour before we arrived. Even with the early order we still had an hour to socialize and enjoy the sights and smells of this unique grill. Large chunks of beef and chicken were speared onto two-foot skewers and slow-roasted over an open grill. Just alongside the grill a brick oven produced small loaves of homemade bread. Our dinner arrived in the form of still-skewered meat (which was hung from hooks above the table), warm bread, various dipping sauces and a generous supply of napkins. We topped off our night on the town with libations at Tu Tu Tango, a popular nightclub in Willemstad. Good music and an eclectic mix of tourists and locals made for a great evening of partying under the stars.
Our final dive site for this trip was called Diver's Leap, named for the low cliff from which shore divers must make their entry. As it turned out, this dive also presented an opportunity to see a new creature for the first time. Shortly after we entered the water the divemaster pointed out a hole in the sand almost three inches in diameter. After disturbing the sand around it we were treated to the sight of a large mantis shrimp emerging and reforming the edge of his burrow. Over the course of this one-hour dive I stopped three times at the mantis shrimp's burrow and watched with fascination as he appeared every so often carrying a load of sand that he dumped out of his burrow and meticulously cleaned away from the edge.
Our final night out was a dinner at Lions Dive Resort hosted by the Curaçao Tourist Board. Erwin Eustacia of the tourist board provided general information about Curaçao as well as an overview of the joint efforts between the board and local businesses to perfect the overall travel experience on the island. This wonderful dinner was confirmation of what we saw all week: Curaçaoans are a laid-back and friendly people who welcome travelers from all points of the globe and do their best to make your trip a great one.
Our last day in Curaçao was a nondiving day, and we spent most of it at Christoffel Park on the northwest end of the island. The park has two sections: The interior section surrounds Mount Christoffel and includes several Indian ruins. The coastal section contains overlooks, rocky beaches with tide pools and pounding surf, and several caves – some of which have Indian paintings. The roads in both sections are narrow, winding and hilly. Particularly in the interior section they are reminiscent of an E-ticket ride at Disneyland, or (for the younger crowd) a very exciting roller-coaster ride. Between the two sections of the park near the park office where you buy your ticket is a snack bar. I recommend a stop here not only for hydration purposes but also to view an open-air aviary where you can see the national bird of Curaçao, the trupial, up-close in its natural environment. Many other species of local birds as well as iguanas and other lizards can be seen here as well.
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My week in Curaçao was followed by two weeks (off and on) of writing, editing and confirming facts and sources. This vacation did not resemble any vacation I'm used to; so much so that, as I expected, I have to conclude that envying this profession, like most others, is much more enjoyable than actually having to do it for a living. No matter how much you like doing it, if you have to do it, it's still work. All that said, though, I found the assignment quite challenging and may do it again next year.
Must Dive
The Superior Producer Upright 1977 wreck at 100 feet with colorful growth
Saba Tugboat Shallow wreck with diverse marine life all around
Mushroom Forest Large plate-coral mounds, surreal panoramas
Cas Abou Wonderful variety of juveniles and macros
Oswaldo's Drop-Off/Car Pile Easy shore access and abundant marine life
Must Do
Christoffel Park Bird watching, caves, ruins and a wild road
Willemstad Shopping Make a point to see the floating market, too
Equus Unique dining experience, great atmosphere
Historic Churches Don't miss the oldest synagogue in the Western world
Dolphin Academy Excellent structured dolphin swim program
Climate
88°F average daytime temp. Record highs of 100°F but usually 85-90° F
80°F average evening temp. Record lows of 70°F but usually 78-80° F
Rainy season Oct.-Feb. Brief showers usually in the evening
UV above average 12 degrees north of the equator; use your favorite sunscreen
Outside the hurricane belt Occasionally a tropical storm gets close enough to cause a day or two of overcast clouds
Contact Info
Sunset Waters Beach Resort www.SunsetWaters.com
Habitat Curacao www.HabitatCuracaoResort.com
Breezes Curacao www.SuperClubs.com
Curacao Tourist Board www.Curacao-Tourism.com
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Cary Wien
First certified in 1978, Cary has over 2,000 logged dives. He developed his love for photography at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1981-82, almost as early as his love for the ocean. He first took a camera below the waves in 1996 and now rarely dives without one. Cary moved to Key Largo in 2001 and worked as a divemaster before starting his own dive-charter operation, Bluewater Divers of Key Largo. In 2004 he sold BWD to his partner and concentrated on his first passion, underwater photography. In addition to working as a staff photographer at a marine mammal facility in Key Largo, he runs his own business providing underwater photography and videography services. He has traveled to Maui, Jamaica, Cozumel, Cancún, Belize, the BVI, the Bahamas, the Sea of Cortez and, of course, most of south Florida and the Keys. He enjoys volunteering with the Marine Mammal Conservancy and assisting with dolphin and whale strandings and rescues.
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