Are Watamula & Mushroom Forest That Much Better Than Other Dive Sites?

morecowbells · Sep 22, 2019

cleung:
Thanks for all your comments. What prompted me to post this thread was that recent videos on both Watamula and Mushroom Forest in terms of marine life don't really look all that different with other Curacao dive videos. Perhaps as some of you may have suggested, their glory days are over
and now every site there is more or less pretty equal?

In terms of abundance of marine life/critters, I would not rank Watamula any higher than the other sites. What makes it stand out is the pristine topography, colors health and vibrancy of the corals.

AdivingBel · Sep 22, 2019

cleung:
...Watamula videos don't seem to have anymore fish per square metre/feet than the other sites around Curacao.

Short answer is no...probably not worth the extra hassle. Unless you count the cloud of chromis that drifted with us on my last dive there then probably not much more of the usual schooling reef fish than other sites. Like all dive sites, it varies. What I like about Watamula is the big "pagoda-like" coral structures and that I generally get to do it as a drift dive (fundamentally different than shore diving, so it's a nice change of pace during a trip). A couple of times because of the current "mixing" due to it's being located at a nexus, by slightly relocating the drop we've actually drifted it in the opposite direction on our second tank. That was pretty unique. If you're looking for fish/sq. meter, then the massive bait ball (bait train) I saw last fall at the mouth of Lagun was dense. A 30 ft. wall of fish that seemed to go by forever while the seabirds pounded it from the air, but you had to just happen on to it. No guarantees, kind of like seahorses & frogfish.

I'm afraid it's all just Caribbean diving. If you want serious fish density, you're going to need a bigger plane (or a bigger boat). :bounce:

cleung · Sep 22, 2019

morecowbells:
In terms of abundance of marine life/critters, I would not rank Watamula any higher than the other sites. What makes it stand out is the pristine topography, colors health and vibrancy of the corals.

Okay this is very good to know -- thanks. I'll probably jump over to Bonaire for a few days too where I expect a higher marine life density but I will wanted to check out Curacao too if I was coming to the general region.

AdivingBel · Sep 22, 2019

cleung:
I'll probably jump over to Bonaire for a few days too where I expect a higher marine life density but I will wanted to check out Curacao too if I was coming to the general region.

LOL...I don't mean to be argumentative, but I'm not sure where your assumptions are coming from. I've dived both Bonaire & Curacao and the actual diving (not islands, not diving infrastructure, not entries/exits) is very similar. Actually I would give the (very slight) nod to western sites on Curacao for fish density & diversity compared to the general "yellow rock" sites in Bonaire. If you get "off the grid" on Bonaire much like western Curacao you "may" see more for the same reasons. It's all just nice Caribbean diving. That said, "expectations" vary widely. I hope you have a nice trip. Gotta luv "dive freedom."

dmaziuk · Sep 23, 2019

cleung:
Okay this is very good to know -- thanks. I'll probably jump over to Bonaire for a few days too where I expect a higher marine life density but I will wanted to check out Curacao too if I was coming to the general region.

Watamula is a very nice dive but you have to drive there for 40 minutes on the day when GoWest boat goes there. Once there you can dive GoWest's house reef, or the next one over if you're after turtles, but then it's a 40-minute drive back to town. I wouldn't say Bonaire has a higher marine life density, but the life is certainly much closer to town.

AndrewBoyd78 · Oct 9, 2019

So...if you are interested in seeing what reefs looked like hundreds of year ago (seriously!) then you should check out our Eastpoint reef. Researchers say it is prehistoric due to its remote location and complete lack of human impact. You really won’t see anything like it in the rest of the Caribbean.

ReadyDiverOne · Oct 9, 2019

Well,@AndrewBoyd78 is too polite to self-promote, so I will promote he and his wife and their great operation https://www.divechartercuracao.com/

I dove with Andy and his wife KK in Xmas and Andy's right about the Eastpoint reef--it is pristine and quite beautiful. And they're super nice and great people. I highly recommend them.

I dove also Mushroom Forest in Xmas (with another op) and it was really only ok; the formations are cool but it has seen some degradation and the viz was quite poor.

Dive Curaçao · Oct 25, 2019

WOW.... what a thread! Starting with a discussion about Watamula... then a comparison between Curaçao and Bonaire, finally ending at this point anyways with Eastpoint! Being honest, this year alone.... Curaçao so far (aside from the pristine reefs along 80% of the southwestern coastline) has witnessed Whalesharks, Tiger Sharks, Hammerheads, numerous pods of dolphins (mostly spinners), pilot whales plus the usual assortment of eagle rays, manta rays and southern stingrays! Largely, with regard to Whalesharks, Hammerheads, etc... are chance encounters and does not happen regularly. But these encounters have increased in annual frequency which speaks to the overall health of the fringing reef systems.

I will never draw a comparision between other Caribbean destinations with regard to our underwater world that we are so lucky to have here on Curaçao. But I will say, on Curaçao you can find reefs that have remained unchanged for more than 50 years. Such reefs are found in the remote areas of the island, such as Eastpoint (Oostpunt), Watamula or Shipwreck Point (Bapor Kibra) to name only a few because there are many more.

These sites are all located along the southeastern side of the island or at certain locations along the wave-impacted north side of the island. Large coral colonies and coral species currently listed as threatened in the wider Caribbean can still be found in large numbers at these remote locations.

I totally agree with what one person said here about having an expectation of what it should be because of where you have already been... my honest advice is to "explore and discover Curaçao" for yourself! With more than 70 wonderful dive sites formally mapped and more than 100 available, there will be no shortage of variety or experiences for any level of diver be it: underwater photographer/videographer, tech diver, conservation diver, fun diver, etc... Bottom line really is to dive in without an expectation (whether it is Curacao or not) and discover what lies below the waterline with open eyes.

Here is a quick video clip of Curaçao - Above and Below the Waterline - that we are very proud of and had the pleasure to help produce for the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance. Coincidentally, @AndrewBoyd78 's company also assisted with this as well for our Eastpoint trips!

If you would like more information about Curaçao, please do not hesitate to PM or email me. Always happy to assist in any way without bias... except when it pertains to safety, quality and sustainability! Hope to see you on Curaçao sooner than later! Enjoy the clip!

lexvil · Oct 25, 2019

While I can’t answer the OP’s question I can speak to the great diving in the southwest of the island and the amazing dining there as opposed to Bonaire.