The Tunnel of Doom -- Are ya up for it??

[Tennessee Slim]

I found Curacao’s Tunnel of Doom. The entrance to it anyway. Now I’m stoked and trying to talk my buds into diving it with me.

It wasn’t like it was hidden but it is in a pretty remote location. I was just driving in that neck of the woods to see if I could find it. I’m also systematically working my way through all the shore dives on the island I can document. I’m writing up driving directions that use major landmarks (very few roads here are marked with a street sign) combined with odometer distances from those landmarks. It doesn’t do much good to tell someone to drive west out Weg Naar Bullenbaai if they don’t know how to get to Weg Naar Bullenbai or if there’s no signs on it saying, “I’m rat cheer!”

But back to the Tunnel of Doom. It’s on the NE shore and reputedly is the only place to dive the north shore of Curacao without a boat. According to this site, about half of the tunnel’s estimated 70 feet has a wet ceiling. The day I was there it was near low tide and I could have sworn I could see sunlight at the other end.

I definitely want to feel it out. From the looks of it, unless the surge is bad, it should be a piece of cake. And I’m excited over the opportunity to dive the north side of the island without the benefit of a boat.

Anybody?

 

[kmcneer]

I'll be there in April if still interested then.

 

[gustele]

Tenessee Slim

If this would be your first dive on the North side of the island I would advise against it. Better start with the Playa Canoa beach, where you can more easily enter and exit the water. But even there, wait till the conditions are right. Most of the year this is not the case.
Even better, do your first dives on the North Side with an experienced local diver who dove there before.

I live on the island myself. I am the author of the website Welcome to the Curacao Diving Paradise - Curacao Diving Paradise. I have made a small number of dives on the North side, but did not do the Tunnel of Doom yet. I you want an experienced guide check with the owner of the dive shop at Daniel (| Onderwater in de West). He organizes dives on the North side when the conditions are allowing it.

Regards

Gustele

 

[Tennessee Slim]

I found the crater on Google Earth. It’s at 12 09' 28.33"N, 68 49' 48.87"W. There’s a very low (daylight & weekend) tide forecast for 3:50 pm on 10 Feb. I figure to do a ‘dry’ reconnaissance then.