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A Postcard from Curaçao | Episode 7 | Bapor Kibrá, Curaçao (Watch Video)
Seventh in a series of inspirational postcards from our friends at Dive Curacao.
Welcome to Episode 7 where we are visiting with Ocean Encounters and LionsDive Beach Resort located in the Bapor Kibrá district of Curaçao, which is just 5 minutes away from the city center of Willemstad.
Bapor Kibrá, which literally translates to “broken ship” is home to one of the best dive sites on the island called Shipwreck Point. This area also has a wide variety of tourism attractions that includes the Curaçao Sea Aquarium Park and Mambo Beach Boulevard which provides many options for entertainment, shopping and of course indulging yourself.
Speaking of indulging yourself, a “natural place” to consider for your next ideal Curaçao vacation is LionsDive Beach Resort. With its warm, casual atmosphere that is set amidst a stunning tropical location, it is the perfect resort for everyone especially if you are a beach-lover, a snorkeler, or an avid scuba diver.
The Forbes Magazine article “The Best Hotels in Curacao” (October 2019) wrote: “To keep the beaches well maintained and beautiful for years to come, the resort operates a green eco-conscious mandate to offer recycling, energy and water conservation, and sustainability through a variety of programs.”
Katja Vogels, one of the owner’s says: “At LionsDive Beach Resort, we actively encourage our guests to discover our beautiful island and the friendly people of Dushi Korsou. We are also fully aware that tourism can only flourish when we respect and improve our natural and social environment. For over 30 years, we have seen it as our responsibility to maintain the highest standards in energy saving, water conservation and waste management. We are an active member within the Curacao community; our staff is recruited locally, and we support various sustainable tourism projects on the island. Coral Restoration Curacao is one of those projects that we are enormously proud of. LionsDive has several coral nurseries installed on the house reef, called Stella Maris, which is a few easy fin kicks away from our beautiful beach that provides a sensational snorkeling experience for our guests.”
“Because of the successful partnership we have with Coral Restoration Curaçao, our sister location, Avila Beach Hotel has also installed coral nurseries too,” says Katja.
LionsDive Beach Resort is built with a typical Dutch-Caribbean style. Located directly on the beach, the 2 and 3 story buildings are all surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens with the water’s edge only footsteps away from your room.
With a warm and friendly Caribbean hospitality, the amazing service is their #1 priority. Their attentive staff is always there for your every need so that you can have a wonderful vacation. You can relax on their shaded private beach, dive in for an exceptional boat or shore dives with Ocean Encounters, train in the 50-meter sports pool, enjoy the many wellness options or just take a relaxing stroll on the adjacent Mambo Beach Boulevard, visiting along the way any one of the 4 onsite bars and restaurants.
Travel Tip: Take advantage of the incredible sunset “Happy Hours” on the beach, at Hemingway Beach Bar & Restaurant or the Chill Beach Bar & Grill, as this is something that you do not want to miss!
Ocean Encounters, the on-site Curacao Tourist Board (CTB) approved Dive Operator, is also committed to ocean conservation and sustainable tourism. Ocean Encounters is not only the founder of Coral Restoration Curaçao but they are also a PADI Green Star Award recipient and regularly conduct Project AWARE “Adopt a Dive Site” underwater clean-up’s on the Stella Maris house reef where they maintain the Coral Restoration Curaçao’s main nursery.
“The significance of the Curaçao Reef Restoration Program is that together as a community here on Curaçao, we are restoring the shallow water reef systems while educating our youth about the importance of protecting and preserving our natural ecosystem,” according to Jeremiah Peek, the Managing Director of Ocean Encounters, who adds: “I believe programs like this help solidify a natural sustainability for future generations.”
Ocean Encounters’ commitment to marine conservation and sustainable tourism is a clear distinguishing factor amongst the dive operators on Curaçao, and this is underlined in their #OEPledge. This pledge is a mandate for positive change through education, awareness and creating a strong eco-friendly presence with green initiatives such as the environmentally safe products sold in their shop and carbon footprint reduction.
The combination of these factors, along with the extraordinary location of LionsDive Beach Resort and the phenomenal choice of regularly scheduled scuba diving activities of Ocean Encounters, creates a unique Curaçao experience that you really need to dive into so that you can feel it for yourself!
Tune in for Episode 8 where will be visiting with The Dive Bus and diving their remarkable house reef at Marie Pampoen to discover more about their “seriously fun” shore diving concept and their on-going commitment to Project AWARE.
We hope you have enjoyed this Postcard from Curaçao and we also hope to see you soon!
Sincere Love from Curacao,
Bryan Horne, Dive Curacao
Tilo and Yvonne Kuhnast, Nature Pics Films
Videos produced and edited for Dive Curacao in cooperation with Nature Pics Films.
In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.
This month we’re taking a look at the Dusky Shark, a highly migratory species with a particularly slow growth rate and late age at maturity.
Dusky sharks are one of the largest species within the Carcharhinus genus, generally measuring 3 metres total length but able to reach up to 4.2 metres. They are grey to grey-brown on their dorsal side and their fins usually have dusky margins, with the darkest tips on the caudal fin.
Dusky Sharks can often be confused with other species of the Carcharhinus genus, particularly the Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis). They have very similar external morphology, so it can be easier to ID to species level by taking location into account as the two species occupy very different ecological niches – Galapagos Sharks prefer offshore seamounts and islets, whilst duskies prefer continental margins.
Hybridisation:
A 2019 study found that Dusky Sharks are hybridising with Galapagos Sharks on the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Pazmiño et al., 2019). Hybridisation is when an animal breeds with an individual of another species to produce offspring (a hybrid). Hybrids are often infertile, but this study found that the hybrids were able to produce second generation hybrids!
Long distance swimmers:
Dusky sharks are highly mobile species, undertaking long migrations to stay in warm waters throughout the winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, they head towards the poles in the summer and return southwards towards the equator in winter. The longest distance recorded was 2000 nautical miles!
Very slow to mature and reproduce:
The Dusky Shark are both targeted and caught as bycatch globally. We already know that elasmobranchs are inherently slow reproducers which means that they are heavily impacted by overfishing; it takes them so long to recover that they cannot keep up with the rate at which they are being fished. Dusky Sharks are particularly slow to reproduce – females are only ready to start breeding at roughly 20 years old, their gestation periods can last up to 22 months, and they only give birth every two to three years. This makes duskies one of the most vulnerable of all shark species.
The Dusky Shark is now listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), but further action is required to protect this important species.
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus obscurus
Family: Carcharhinidae
Maximum Size: 420cm (Total Length)
Diet: Bony fishes, cephalopods, can also eat crustaceans, and small sharks, skates and rays
Distribution: Patchy distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas; Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean.
Habitat: Ranges from inshore waters out to the edge of the continental shelf.
Conservation status: Endangered.
For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website
Images: Andy Murch
Diana A. Pazmiño, Lynne van Herderden, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Claudia Junge, Stephen C. Donnellan, E. Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, Clinton A.J. Duffy, Charlie Huveneers, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Paul A. Butcher, Gregory E. Maes. (2019). Introgressive hybridisation between two widespread sharks in the east Pacific region, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136(119-127), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.013.
3rd AUGUST 2024 – 1 or 2 WEEK PROGRAMMES
Daily water programme with Snorkelling & Scuba Diving.
Beginners or qualified, something for all.
Leave the kids with the Splash Team for days of Excitement, Fun & Adventure!
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
There are various options for accommodation with options for 2, 3, 4 or 5 guests.
Eco Huts provide accommodation for families of up to 4. The best option to enhance the adventure and closest to camping with basic facilities. For August we will provide central air cooling for all the Eco Huts.
Deluxe Chalets are only suitable for 2 guests. Fully air conditioned rooms with private bathroom and other facilities.
Boutique Rooms are available for families of up to 5.
Individual bespoke rooms fully air conditioned with private bathroom and other facilities.
Eco Huts: £675 per adult / £425 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Deluxe Chalet: £830 per adult / £505 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Boutique Room: £925 per adult / £550 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
This is a truly unique opportunity to have a Family Desert Adventure totally away from it all! You will be based at the remote Roots Red Sea on the coast of the Egyptian Eastern Desert, 140km south of Hurghada city.
Red Sea Splash main focus is Snorkelling & Scuba Diving but that’s not all, we provide a rounded week of activities in support.
Pool& Field Games – Arts & Crafts
Marine Biology Workshops
Cultural Activities – Orienteering Adventures
Roots Red Sea have established strong links with the local communities of Hamerwain & El Quseir affording our guests to have a true taste of the local culture, SPLASH CAMP embraces this opportunity and bring in the local children to join in the fun with our adventure seekers.
During the day, families are welcome to take part in all activities together or the kids can be left with the SPLASH CAMP team while the parents enjoy the facilities or go diving themselves!
At the end of the day, its family time while the SPLASH CAMP team take a break. For those with the energy, there are family evening activities planned a few evenings.
Open Air Movie Night – Desert Star Gazing Walk & Talk
El Quseir Evening City Tour
The second week is very special, we head off on the Big Blue for a liveaboard safari around Fury Shoals.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
U-8 Splash Club
Sadly we can’t offer Scuba Diving to the Splash Club but we can have lots of fun Snorkelling & Free Diving!
Splash Club includes:
Certified Snorkel Course – Marine ID Games – Intro to Free Diving
Arts & Craft Sessions – Adventure trails – Cultural Playtime – Pool Games
U-12 Explorer Club
In addition to an exciting snorkelling and Free Diving Programme in the Splash Club we can take you under the water on SCUBA to a whole new world of fun and wonder. If you are under 10 your first breath under water will be as a Bubblemaker and continue with daily Seal Team Missions. From 10 we will complete a Discover Scuba Diving experience in the amazing Red Sea. Alternatively we offer a full junior certification programme to become an international qualified Scuba Diver.
U-16 Adventurer Club
For qualified Scuba Divers regardless of age it’s the Adventurer Club and exploration of the local reefs and marine life. There will be 2 dives every day with the Open Ocean marine field station team who will introduce you to Red Sea marine life and workshops on marine research. Alternatively there are opportunities to continue your scuba diving certifications with our instructional team.
Parents are welcome to join the club activities and join the courses.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Big Blue might seem like the new kid on the block, but the team behind the highly acclaimed liveaboard is far from that. They have been running Red Sea safaris since the late 1980’s and were in fact part of the early pioneers who ventured out to the unknown on vessels that in today’s world, really shouldn’t have left the harbour! It’s that experience and the years of operating the award-winning Roots Red Sea resort which truly set Big Blue apart from the crowd!
Large lounge area, spacious sun deck and terrace deck.
Airy restaurant with five tables with up to six chairs per table, serving a varied and delicious menu with special dietary requirements catered for.
The spacious cabins have side by side beds and a large walk in wet bathroom.
Ample dive deck for divers & snorkelers.
Safety is everyone’s priority, whether you are relaxing on board, swimming, snorkelling or diving.
On board Big Blue is fitted with smoke alarms, emergency lighting and a fire alarm system. The lower corridor has a full-size door fire exit at the bow and open stairs to the stern. There are evacuation plans in each room along with life jackets, glass breaker tool and a fire extinguisher.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Red Sea Splash at Fury Shoals is a very rare opportunity to get involved with marine biology expedition for children and adults. Open Ocean biologists are on board to provide fascinating and entertaining facts about the marine life you will see. The team will provide workshops on marine life identification and survey methods both of which, should you wish, you will have the chance to put into practice during your safari.
The week is open to snorkelers, scuba divers and non divers too!
Fury shoals is perfect for first time mariners as it offers plenty of protection from the weather.
We board at Port Ghaleb on Saturday evening and prepare to set sail early on Sunday morning.
Heading south, our first day will be diving the reefs of Abu Dabbab before sailing overnight to reach our ultimate destination the Fury Shoals.
Here we will spend four days swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving amazing reefs. This includes guaranteed DOLPHIN encounters at Sataya Reef! After the last dive we haul anchor and head back to Abu Dabbab for our final two dives before disembarking our boat BIG BLUE.
Camp Extension Cost*
Adult £650 per adult
Under 16 £350 per child
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
FURTHER INFORMATION – INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM
TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
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