Scuba diving locations in Netherlands Antilles:

• Curacao has some popular wreck dives, and there are over 60 dive sites in total, with most accessed from the shore. Check out Klein Curacao, which offers scenic diving with good walls covered in coral
• Bonaire is surrounded by a marine park that is home to an incredible amount underwater life. The waters are extremely clear, with visibility in excess of 30 metres. Klein Bonaire is about one kilometre off the west coast and acts like a barrier reef, creating calm waters on the leeward side.
• Saba's protected dive sites are a mix of deepwater pinnacles providing a home for horse-eye jacks, snappers, nurse and black tip sharks, turtles and barracudas, and giant barrel sponges, coral gardens, boulders, finger reefs, hot springs and lava tunnels comprise the geography. There are almost no currents.
• St Eustatius offers wall, wreck, pinnacles, dropoffs, deep dives and shallow dives. In order to protect the environment, the Marine Park has 30 buoyed dive sites for boats up to 50 feet and three designated for boats up to 100 feet. Statia has several dive areas where divers can see flying gurnards.

When to scuba dive in Netherlands Antilles:

• The water temperature generally varies from 25°C to 29°C.
• In Curacao and Bonaireduring September and October the coral spawns 7 days after the full moon.
• Coral spawning seven days after full moon.
• In Saba from January to March is the Humpback whale migration.
• Saba and St Eustatius have the risk of hurricanes between July and October.

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in Netherlands Antilles:

• Curacao, the wreck of the Superior Producer rests at a maximum depth of 30 metres.
• The Airplane Wreck is a shore dive, marked on the surface with a buoy.
• On Bonaire, Ol' Blue is an excellent walk-in.
• On the southern end of Bonaire is Alice In Wonderland, an excellent place to see the coral spawning, Angel City and the freighter wreck, Hilma Hooker.
• Saint Eustatius is home to the Blue Bead Hole. The blue glass beads were used to reward slaves in the 17th century, and are now the only artefact that divers are allowed to take

The best spots to snorkel in Netherlands Antilles:

• In Curacao, the Tugboat wreck is in shallow water at 5 metres.

Fun scuba facts:

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder ()
• Population: is about 180,000 (2001)
• Time Zone: AST (GMT-4)
• Main languages spoken: Dutch, English, Papiamento ## Diveable overseas territories: Netherlands

Netherlands Antillean diving federations:

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):