Curacao question on surface markers/dive flags and lionfish hunting

[ERRN]

Hi guys and thanks for all the relevant info already posted. i am looking for some more up to date info on 2 things. I know from posts a few years old that dive flags/surface floats were required per the law (but not often enforced). Are dive flags still mandated for shore dives, and do most people use them? Second question. Planning on taking down a short pole spear for lionfish harvesting but see that there are a few comments on the web saying you need to be part of a group to do so, anyone run into problems going out as 2 independent people and spearing lionfish? anyone recommend any dive shops on west end that have zookeepers to rent?

 

[trdiver]

I don't know about Zookeepers for rent but West End divers are great and the shore dive is fantastic.

I did 5 days of shore dives in Curacao and used a Surface Float. The thing I like about it most is it helped keep me at the depth I wanted to stay at. I only had one boat go over us and I think it helped them stay away from us.

Curacao is a great place to dive, eat and hangout on the beaches. One of my favorite islands and I hope you have a great trip!!!

 

[diversteve]

If you're talking about Westpunt dive operations here's a short list:

Go West Diving at Lodge Kura Hulanda
Go West Diving at All West Apartments

If anyone rents a zookeeper it might be them since they participate in REEF's annual study - Curacao - Invasive Lionfish Research Study with GO WEST Diving and Kura Hulanda Lodge | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)

The next dive operations I can think of are in Lagun, either Bahia Dive or Discover Diving. We rented tanks from Discover a couple days - I know nothing about Bahia except it's there.

There's a lionfish eradication program on Curacao - maybe they can help with your hunting questions. Project CLEAR Curacao - Lionfish Control

 

[AdivingBel]

On our last trip Oct. '16, I didn't see any dive flags in use diving predominately in the Westpunt area. Might be more prominent in the more populated areas. Dive shops in Westpunt: GoWest (the Op we used) with affiliate location at AllWest Apts. & Dive'n Curacao at Rancho El Sobrino. Don't know about lionfish hunting. See @gopbroek 's post below.

 

[gopbroek]

Hi I visited the island several months back and did four days of boat diving with Go West, in Westpunt . On the first day I spoke with the DM, Daniel (who was on his last day with the shop) and was told that there was absolutely no Lionfish hunting allowed on the boat and he indicated tourists shouldn’t be hunting them. Friends had told me before I went to speak with David at Sol food, as he was an avid Lionfish hunter. When I attempted this it was back to ‘tourists have no business hunting Lionfish’. I later was told Daniel and David were fishing buddies.

On the fourth day Daniel’s replacement’s significant other, Luke (also a DM and Instructor but not fully employed by the shop), brought a small zookeeper and 24” (toy, POS) spear on board. It was too late to run back to my room and get my 5’ travel spear, so I buddied up with Luke. This was Luke’s first time with a spear and it was a hoot watching him try to hit a small guy hiding on a piece of hull in the sand near a wreck, but he quickly figured it out and was hooked on Lion fishing.

For the next few days, without knowledge of where to go, Luke and I went shore diving and did fairly well. The little spear he had was of limited use but he was very good at spotting them so most of the time he would spot and I would pop them. 8 the first day, 6 the next but we found the accessible shore dive sites were pretty picked over. Then we heard they like to feed at sunset and on the last night we did a night dive. Jackpot, directly in front of Go West at the ‘Alice In Wonderland’ which is one of the most heavily dived sites around (we had previously only seen a couple Pez Leon during the day) I nailed around a dozen in about 20 minutes (just before sunset and plus 30 minutes seems like prime feeding time). Once back to Luke’s place I gave him my fish and spear, so he would have a semi decent one. After I left a guy walking by stuck up a conversation with Luke and explained that there was an active market at the local restaurants for Pez Leon @ 15 Guilders a kilo and pointed out a little restaurant about 100 meters away, on a cliff . 30 minutes later and 60 Guilders richer, Luke had a new employment plan.

If you are in Westpunt I would go by Go West and ask the manager, Andreas, how to get ahold of Luke. I would not be surprised if he was guiding by now. Also you might email Andreas and ask him if they have any Zoo keepers for rent.


As for a buoy I did not use one until coming back in.

 

[AdivingBel]

@gopbroek 's info supersedes mine on the lionfish front. Sorry David didn't turn out to be any help. He seemed pretty positive when hunting from the boat I was on, but I guess it was only as long as he was driving the spear. I'll edit my previous post.

 

[gopbroek]

@gopbroek 's info supersedes mine on the lionfish front. Sorry David didn't turn out to be any help. He seemed pretty positive when hunting from the boat I was on, but I guess it was only as long as he was driving the spear. I'll edit my previous post.

Not a problem, I enjoyed the trip. We stayed at the Nos Krusero apartments directly across the street from the dive shop which I would highly recommend. Wished I had been down in Coz during your recent trip, hopefully I will see you in the fall.

 

[Saturated and satisfied]

The law regarding dive flags is still in place and occasionally enforced.

Equally lionfish hunting from shore. There are still a couple of the smaller dive shops doing tours I believe. Ocean Encounters do a tour by boat where the divers spot for the DM's with the spears..

There is a grey area regarding lionfish hunting here and it really depends on who catches you. One of my friends who was an instructor doing a lionfish hunting tour for his dive shop and stopped by the cops and had all of his and his paying divers equipment confiscated despite his protestations until he visited the main police station to give a lengthy explanation. Needless to say that dive shop no longer organizes those tours. Unfortunately I have seen too many 'divers' shooting lionfish trashing the reef in many different ways, fins, lying on the reef, not looking at the background and killing corals so if you choose to hunt lionfish please look out for my 'office' We will be diving it long after you're gone. I am not questioning your hunting abilities or your diving abilities.

Despite all of these ramblings. Enjoy Curacao. The diving here is awesome!

 

[ERRN]

The law regarding dive flags is still in place and occasionally enforced.

Equally lionfish hunting from shore. There are still a couple of the smaller dive shops doing tours I believe. Ocean Encounters do a tour by boat where the divers spot for the DM's with the spears..

There is a grey area regarding lionfish hunting here and it really depends on who catches you. One of my friends who was an instructor doing a lionfish hunting tour for his dive shop and stopped by the cops and had all of his and his paying divers equipment confiscated despite his protestations until he visited the main police station to give a lengthy explanation. Needless to say that dive shop no longer organizes those tours. Unfortunately I have seen too many 'divers' shooting lionfish trashing the reef in many different ways, fins, lying on the reef, not looking at the background and killing corals so if you choose to hunt lionfish please look out for my 'office' We will be diving it long after you're gone. I am not questioning your hunting abilities or your diving abilities.

Despite all of these ramblings. Enjoy Curacao. The diving here is awesome!

I completely understand the concern that tourists may trash the reef, task load and general get sloppy while trying to hunt so no worries on your post. not looking to have a 1 man rodeo of lionfish killing as much as take a short pole spear along and maybe bring back dinner for the SO and I. I agree, I have seen some terrible skills and disregard for the reef in other places. Thanks everyone for the info. it was confusing because the linked article in another thread said it was legal to hunt as part of a group but didn't specify regarding individuals

 

[Diver OnLu]

Hi I visited the island several months back and did four days of boat diving with Go West, in Westpunt . On the first day I spoke with the DM, Daniel (who was on his last day with the shop) and was told that there was absolutely no Lionfish hunting allowed on the boat and he indicated tourists shouldn’t be hunting them. Friends had told me before I went to speak with David at Sol food, as he was an avid Lionfish hunter. When I attempted this it was back to ‘tourists have no business hunting Lionfish’. I later was told Daniel and David were fishing buddies.

On the fourth day Daniel’s replacement’s significant other, Luke (also a DM and Instructor but not fully employed by the shop), brought a small zookeeper and 24” (toy, POS) spear on board. It was too late to run back to my room and get my 5’ travel spear, so I buddied up with Luke. This was Luke’s first time with a spear and it was a hoot watching him try to hit a small guy hiding on a piece of hull in the sand near a wreck, but he quickly figured it out and was hooked on Lion fishing.

For the next few days, without knowledge of where to go, Luke and I went shore diving and did fairly well. The little spear he had was of limited use but he was very good at spotting them so most of the time he would spot and I would pop them. 8 the first day, 6 the next but we found the accessible shore dive sites were pretty picked over. Then we heard they like to feed at sunset and on the last night we did a night dive. Jackpot, directly in front of Go West at the ‘Alice In Wonderland’ which is one of the most heavily dived sites around (we had previously only seen a couple Pez Leon during the day) I nailed around a dozen in about 20 minutes (just before sunset and plus 30 minutes seems like prime feeding time). Once back to Luke’s place I gave him my fish and spear, so he would have a semi decent one. After I left a guy walking by stuck up a conversation with Luke and explained that there was an active market at the local restaurants for Pez Leon @ 15 Guilders a kilo and pointed out a little restaurant about 100 meters away, on a cliff . 30 minutes later and 60 Guilders richer, Luke had a new employment plan.

If you are in Westpunt I would go by Go West and ask the manager, Andreas, how to get ahold of Luke. I would not be surprised if he was guiding by now. Also you might email Andreas and ask him if they have any Zoo keepers for rent.


As for a buoy I did not use one until coming back in.

Hi,

This is Andreas of Go West Diving.

Just to avoid misunderstandings: absolutely sharing Mark's (aka Saturated and satisfied) view on Lionfish hunting, as a general rule we don't support tourist divers hunting Lionfish: no spear or zookeeper rental, no hunting from our boats. So Daniel's answer to your question was absolutely correct. I remember you brought your own gear; in cases like that we can only join Mark asking to please be aware of potential reef damage caused by Lionfish hunters getting carried away by their prey instincts, not to mention the personal risk of injury involved.

Since his name was mentioned, it's Luke's business if he goes Lionfish hunting while not working with us, but we will not support him in any way to actively take tourist out to hunt, so no need asking for him in this context.

Safe diving, everybody,
Andreas