Bon Bini! (Welcome!) - Curacao (2001)

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In February 2001, Tori's parents moved into the DeYoung house for a week to play with Alec while we escaped to the island of Curacao to do some diving. We went with our friends Chris and Dave who we met by chance in Roatan, Honduras in January 1998. Curacao is a small island about 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. It's mostly a desert with constant strong trade winds blowing and great reefs close to shore. We stayed at Habitat Curacao, a diving resort called "the home of diving freedom" where you can dive absolutely anytime under your own tutelage. Typical days consisted of a quick breakfast before getting on the dive boat for a pair of dives. Back in time for lunch there was the option of afternoon dives off the boat or from the shore on the "house reef". Late afternoon and evening/night dives were common. A couple trips to the city of Willemstad (about 35 minutes ride each way) gave some dining options. The floating bridge there and the colorful waterfront buildings were a nice change from the dry countryside. During our stay on the island, we were happy to be able to celebrate Dave's birthday and Valentine's Day and observe the stars from a different perspective. (Click on the buttons below to see the photos.)
Picture Legend
Pic 1 - Tori & Dennis on the side of the Canal in Willemstad, looking toward the Punda side of the city.
Pic 2 - Tori & Dennis sitting near the pool at Habitat Curacao.
Pic 3 - A pair of Spiny Lobsters at the dive site called Mushroom Forrest.
Pic 4 - A small Christmas Tree Worm living in a star coral colony.
Pic 5 - Close up of another Christmas Tree Worm on star coral.
Pic 6 - Peterson Cleaner Shrimp waits for a fish (or hand) to come along for a cleaning.
Pic 7 - A portrait of a Sea Horse.
Pic 8 - Spotted Drum juvenile.
Pic 9 - Pair of Blackbar Soldierfish pose with an adult Spotted Drum.
Pic 10 - "Chester" the Green Moray who lives on the "house reef" at Habitat Curacao.
Pic 11 - Dennis framed by some pillar coral (photo by Dave Playfair)
Pic 12 - Tori cruises outside the window of the wreck of the Superior Producer.
Pic 13 - Tori winds a Kodak single-use camera, now known to be good to 80 fsw!
Pic 14 - Sharptail Eel cruises the reef looking for lunch.
Pic 15 - Dave poses so we can compare the size of his ear to a colorful Elephant Ear Sponge.
Pic 16 - Chris strikes a pose in the blue.



The Punda area of the city of Willemstad, about a half hour drive from Habitat.

    
Habitat Curacao


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