Curaçao’s reefs look this good because thousands of small choices — sometimes boring, always crucial — are made correctly every single day. This guide keeps things simple: what to do, what to avoid and how to keep your dives low-impact and high-quality, so the reef looks even better when you come back next season.
Before you dive: set yourself up to minimise your impact
1. Choose reef-safe sun protection
Use mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide), lycras and hats. Chemical filters like oxybenzone and octinoxate are linked to coral stress in studies. Curaçao hasn’t banned them island-wide, but mineral formulas are still the safest choice for the reef.
2. Keep your gear simple
Shorten hoses, secure anything that dangles and double-check your fin straps. Tidy gear means fewer accidental knocks on coral and far less sediment kicked up behind you.
3. Adjust your weighting on land — not over the reef
Do a proper buoyancy check at the surface. Too much weight and you end up kneeling on the reef; too little and you flap around trying to stay down. Neither is great for coral — or for you.
In the water: dive as if you lived here
Neutral, slow, controlled
Keep a horizontal trim, use a slow modified flutter or frog kick, and avoid using your hands. Your bubbles should be the only thing you leave behind.
No touching the reef or marine life
Don’t touch, hold on, lean, or try for “just one selfie” with the turtles. It stresses the animals and damages the living coral tissue.
Keep your distance from turtles and rays
Keep your distance, never block a turtle’s access to the surface, and don’t chase animals for photos. Respectful behaviour matters far more than getting the perfect Instagram shot.
Control your entry and exit
Use sandy patches or clear hard bottom when you enter or exit. Avoid standing or kneeling on the reef, even in the shallows.
Playa Piskadó: the reality about the turtles
Playa Piskadó (Playa Grandi) is marketed as “the turtle beach of Curaçao.” The reality is different: the turtles there are conditioned by feeding and heavy crowds, which leads to poor health and abnormal behaviour. Local conservation groups actively advise against feeding, touching or surrounding turtles at this site.
Our stance is simple: we don’t take guests to feeding hotspots. We prefer natural encounters on the reef and in the seagrass — better for the turtles, better for you.
Responsible snorkelling (because snorkelers are the first to bump the reef)
Use a snorkel vest to stay buoyant and keep your fins well clear of the coral.
Practise clearing your mask and using small, gentle fin kicks close to shore before you reach the reef.
Never stand on coral to rest — float or head back to the sand instead
Lionfish: invasive, delicious and regulated
Lionfish wipe out huge numbers of juvenile reef fish. Removing them helps — but only when it’s done legally and safely. In Curaçao, spearfishing is normally banned; lionfish removal is the exception, and it comes with strict rules: lance only, organised or approved removals, and proper training for divers. If you’re interested, ask us about the courses and opportunities available. No improvised hunting, no loaded spearguns, no free-for-all.
Coral restoration & citizen-science you can support
Reef restoration: Curaçao has active nursery and transplantation programmes (like Reef Renewal Curaçao), where you can learn, donate or join supervised activities
Sea turtle conservation: local teams monitor nests (mainly June–December), relocate vulnerable clutches and educate visitors. Support them by following the guidelines and sharing good practices.
Useful data: note any important observations (invasive species, entanglements, bleaching) with your guide so they can be passed to the right conservation teams.
Waste, plastics and boats
Ramenez tout ce que vous apportez. Si ça flotte, ça finit en mer.
Take everything you brought back with you. If it floats, it eventually ends up in the sea.
Never drop an anchor on coral; use the mooring buoys instead (just like our skipper does).
After your dive: the small habits that add up
Rinse your gear well away from the reef; don’t dump defog or soapy water in the shallow zones.
Take a moment to check your buoyancy: did you stir up sand? Did your fins touch anything? Adjust your weights before the next dive if it hasn’t already been done.
Share good practices with your group — you set the tone underwater.
Dive with a local guide — The Little Green Boat
We’re your local, eco-focused guides. On our dives, we:
Choose sites based on the day’s conditions and your experience.
Always brief you on no-touch, no-feeding interactions.
Offer lionfish-removal and reef-restoration activities in a supervised, trained, authorised and safe way.
Book an eco-friendly dive with The Little Green Boat and leave Curaçao’s reefs exactly as you found them — alive, colourful and thriving.