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Curaçao, Ocean Encounters, and LionsDive Beach Resort win 23 awards at the 2024 Scuba Diving Reader’s Choice Awards

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The results of the 2024 Scuba Diving Reader’s Choice Awards are in, and the Dutch Caribbean Island of Curaçao, Ocean Encounters, and LionsDive Beach Resort have emerged as the indisputable winners in the world of scuba diving. These prestigious awards, celebrating excellence in the industry, mark yet another year of inclusion for Curaçao, Ocean Encounters, and LionsDive Beach Resort.

The 2024 Scuba Diving Reader’s Choice Awards is a highly regarded annual event that allows the global scuba diving community to recognize and honor the best in the business. Divers, enthusiasts, and industry experts from around the world cast their votes to determine the winners, making it a true testament to the excellence of the recipients.

What Makes the 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards Significant?

The 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards hold great significance in the scuba diving community for several reasons. Firstly, it represents the collective voice of divers and enthusiasts, making it a true reflection of the industry’s preferences.

Secondly, these awards are a hallmark of quality and service, and securing a top position is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the awardees.

Finally, the awards set the standard for excellence in the scuba diving industry and guide divers and travelers in choosing their next adventure.

Curaçao: A Jewel in the Caribbean

Once again, Curaçao has demonstrated its standing as one of the world’s premier scuba diving destinations. Nestled between Aruba and Bonaire, this Dutch Caribbean Island has been awarded the #2 spot for Best Shore Diving Destination and the #3 spot for Best Snorkeling Destination. Moreover, Curaçao secured top positions in several other categories, including a Top 5 spot for Best Overall Dive Destination, Best Beginner Dive Destination, Best Macro Life, Underwater Photography, Health of Marine Environment, Wall Diving, and Best Value.

Ocean Encounters: Pinnacle of Dive Operation Excellence

Ocean Encounters, a Premier PADI and SSI Dive Shop located in Curaçao, has soared to the top of the Caribbean’s dive operators. The dive shop was honored with several awards, including #2 Dive Shop for Attention to Safety, #3 for Quality of Facilities, and #3 for Quality of Staff. Ocean Encounters also secured spots in the Top 5 for Best Overall Dive Center in the Caribbean, Quality of Boats, Rental Gear, and a Top 10 spot for Quality of Training and Courses.

Jeremiah Peek, Managing Director of Ocean Encounters, expressed his delight in this achievement, saying, “We are thrilled to be a part of Curaçao’s success story. The 2024 Scuba Diving Reader’s Choice Awards highlight our commitment to providing the ultimate dive experience. We are deeply grateful to our team for their hard work and dedication and all the divers who recognized their efforts.”

LionsDive Beach Resort: A Paradise for Divers

LionsDive Beach Resort, a serene haven in Curaçao, proudly walked away with awards for Quality of Dive Resort (#3), Best Overall Dive Resort in the Caribbean (Top 5), Quality of Rooms (Top 5), and Quality of Staff (Top 10). Additionally, the resort achieved recognition in the Top 10 categories for Dive Resort Value and Quality of Restaurants.

Mimi Luttge, General Manager of LionsDive Beach Resort, expressed her gratitude for the accolades, stating, “We are truly honored to have our resort acknowledged by the scuba diving community. These awards underscore our commitment to providing an exceptional experience for all our guests.”

A Heartfelt Thank You

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the divers, enthusiasts, and industry experts who participated in the 2024 Scuba Diving Reader’s Choice Awards voting process. Your support and recognition motivate us to continue striving for excellence in the world of scuba diving.

A World-Class Scuba Diving Destination

The accolades received by Curaçao, Ocean Encounters, and LionsDive Beach Resort firmly establish Curaçao as one of the world’s best overall scuba diving destinations. With its crystal-clear waters, abundant marine life, and a commitment to safety and quality, Curaçao offers an unparalleled scuba diving experience for dive groups, families, and individuals.

Plan Your Scuba Diving Adventure Today!

For those seeking the ultimate scuba diving experience, look no further. Visit Curaçao, explore the underwater wonders with Ocean Encounters, and unwind at LionsDive Beach Resort. The 2024 Scuba Diving Reader’s Choice Awards have spoken – Curaçao, Ocean Encounters, and LionsDive Beach Resort are your go-to destination for a memorable and world-class scuba diving vacation.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to dive into the enchanting waters of Curaçao and experience the award-winning services of Ocean Encounters and LionsDive Beach Resort. Your next adventure awaits!

For more information, bookings, and inquiries, please visit www.curacao.com, www.oceanencounters.com, and www.lionsdive.com.

Marine Life & Conservation

IUCN Spotlights Green Fins at Bali Ocean Days 2025, Calling for Stronger Business Model in Marine Conservation

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conservation

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Global Ocean Director, Minna Epps, has spotlighted Green Fins Indonesia along with a call for stronger business models that sustain marine conservation. Speaking at the inaugural session of Bali Ocean Days 2025 held on 7-8 February, Epps emphasised the need for sustainable financing to support and scale marine conservation initiatives such as Green Fins.

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Activities earlier in the week with the Coral Triangle Center in Sanur and Ceningan Divers in the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area shaped the IUCN Ocean Director’s message at the conference and showcase, aligning with the theme of the blue economy and impact finance to sustain marine ecosystems.

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“Tourism has such a big impact on marine biodiversity, and we need it to adhere to a certain code of conduct,” Epps said. “That is why through our funding facilities, we worked with The Reef-World Foundation advancing Green Fins so dive operators can become certified with standards. But this kind of initiative has been around for a long time and it’s also a tool used to improve [MPA management], but it needs to come with a business model. I also believe in market-based instruments to evolve this programme.”

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IUCN’s visit is part of their Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), which supports at least 21 projects around the world, building the business case for investing in the future of our ocean.

In Indonesia, the project supported by IUCN was developed in partnership with The Reef-World Foundation, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Coral Triangle Center, which serves as the local implementing organisation for Green Fins. The initiative engages marine tourism businesses through voluntary sustainability certification based on the only internationally recognised environmental standards for diving and snorkelling operations. Green Fins’ activities aim to reduce negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism activities as well as improve the management of marine protected areas.

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IUCN’s promotion of Green Fins in Bali Ocean Days signals the need for greater private sector engagement in marine conservation across Indonesia and beyond.

Investors, donors, marine tourism operators and stakeholders looking to support scalable marine conservation solutions are encouraged to explore opportunities with The Reef-World Foundation, the international coordinator of the Green Fins initiative. To learn more about sustainable marine tourism and how to get involved, visit www.reef-world.org.

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About Reef-World

The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity promotes the wise use of natural resources – particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems – for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations. It is dedicated to supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coastal resources.

Reef-World leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. As such, the charity provides low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. It provides education and capacity-building assistance to empower environmental champions (within the diving industry, local communities, authorities and governments) to implement proven coastal resource management approaches.

Visit www.reef-world.org to learn more or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and X.

About Green Fins

Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – spearheaded by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with the marine tourism industry. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance.

Green Fins encourages and empowers members of the diving industry to act to reduce the pressures on coral reefs by offering dive and snorkel companies practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices – such as anchoring, fish feeding and chemical pollution – as well as providing strategic training, support and resources. By reducing the local direct and indirect pressures tourism puts on coral reefs, it helps make corals healthier and more resilient to other stresses such as the effects of climate change. Look for the Green Fins logo when booking your next dive trip.Visit www.greenfins.net to learn more or follow the initiative on Facebook, Instagram and X.

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News

Filming 360 in The Bahamas

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In December 2024, the Shark Trust had a very special opportunity to film sharks and rays in The Bahamas. Frogfish Photography are the Bahamas Dive Ambassadors for the UK. And Caroline, Deputy Editor at Scubaverse, is the Marketing Manager at the Shark Trust. So, when the need arose to film footage of several species of shark and ray for a new Shark Trust project, The Bahamas seemed the perfect fit. A huge thank you is needed here to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. As they stepped in to fully support the trip both financially and practically. Ensuring that the filming expedition ran smoothly, and that we got as much time as possible in the water with sharks and rays, during the 10 day, 3 island trip.

The Bahamas is famous for its sharks and rays. Divers flock there to experience getting up close to a range of species. Our itinerary saw us visit Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama. It packed in as many in-water experiences as possible and had us dive, snorkel, and even take a submarine to experience them in a variety of different habitats and to capture them on film. We saw 148 sharks and rays from 8 different species (all of which have been logged on the Shark Trust Shark Log!).

But why were we there? The expedition was designed to fulfil the needs of two new projects being launched by the Shark Trust in 2025. The filming done underwater on this trip was the start of creating OneOcean360: A Shark Story. A new 360 immersive experience designed primarily for immersive domes and planetariums. The film will be the nearest experience to getting in the water with sharks and rays without getting wet! It will bring the world of sharks to an audience that may never get the chance to experience it first-hand. A Shark Story aims to deepen people’s understanding of sharks, uncovering and illustrating why they are so wonderful as well as being vital to marine ecosystems.

The film is being made in collaboration with Real Immersive. Also based in Plymouth, they have an immersive dome and are providing the technical expertise behind creating this unique experience. Reviewing the footage in the dome has been an invaluable part of the process. Both inspiring the team and allow us to refine the filming techniques to suit this immersive theatre.

You might imagine that we are using expensive cameras and even more expensive housings. But this is not the case. The entire project is being filmed using Insta360 X4 cameras. With only a few simple additions to the standard dive setup. The INON weight plate allowed us to attach this camera to a dive weight, set it down on sand or wreck, and then swim away and let the sharks be the stars. And the results are very exciting. The film will be ready this autumn. It will be accompanied by an educational pack for teachers to take away after school trips to see the film. Encouraging all those that see it to continue learning about these incredible animals.

You can support the creation of OneOcean360: A Shark Story by heading to the crowdfunder page and donating or selecting a reward.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-shark-story


Read about the shark and ray dives we did on Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama in our next blog post coming soon on Scubaverse.

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