Page 336 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles
P. 336
M arie pampoen - Another nice dive site with easy access to the usually close to 100 feet. The site is accessible to all levels of divers.
water. You go into the water in a small bay, where it is very If you go out to the wall, there can be some current so inexperi-
suitable to teach. Outside the bay begins the dive interesting. Al- enced divers should be cautious. Expect to see morays, trumpet-
most always there swimming squid just outside the bay and there fish, soldierfish, snappers, parrotfish and more.
is growing much stag horn coral. Another attractive at Marie Pam-
poen is an underwater junkyard. Old cars and cranes are dumped S hipwreck Pont – This site is located in fornt of the seq aquari-
here to create an artificial reef. um. At the botton at a depth of 165 feet are two two tug boats.
This dive should never be attempted alone.
P iedra Di Sombre / Stone Hat - There is a rock outcropping on
the coast the look like a large hat. When the weather is calm S S Oranje Nasssau - This wreck can be accessed from the Sea-
this site offers some nice snorkeling along the shallow waters. You quarium area, a recommended above-water site for visitors.
can access this site via boat or shore. Head to Jan Thiel Bay (small Swim through the lagoon and out to the left (southeast), for about
parking fee applicable). Facilities include restaurant, bathrooms, three minutes to the SS Oranje Nassau. A steamship built in 1884
showers, beach chairs, shade and a full service dive shop. There is and owned by the Royal West India Company, it grounded during
sailboat wreck, sunk in 2003 about 60 meters from shore. a fierce storm in 1906. Look for very healthy coral, morays and lots
of small reef fish. This pair of wrecks include the SS Oranje Nas-
S aba Tugboat - This is a 30 foot intact wreck lying upright in sau, which was built in 1884. This old steamship was owned by
about 20 feet of water. The Tugboat is located in the Curacao the Royal West India Company, and was lost after running aground
Underwater Marine Park and is accessible both by boat and from during a 1906 storm. Covered with a brilliant blanket of corals and
shore. It is close to a steep drop off so divers can do the wall first home to a myriad of species, this wreck is simply spectacular. The
and then check out the tugboat towards the end of their dive. The Saba wreck, located about 1 kilometer away, is a dive boat that was
wall starts about 150 yards from shore. The tugboat is now covered deployed to act as an artificial reef. Both sites are easily accessed
with huge coral formations of brain coral, sponges and star coral. from the Seaquarium area.
Average depth at the wreck itself is about 15 feet with visibility
