Scuba Season
Underwater reef at Westpunt
Declining

Westpunt

Curaçao · Caribbean

Westpunt on Curaçao's western tip is the island's best diving — long walls, healthy coral, quiet shore diving access, and the Mushroom Forest. Less developed than Bonaire but with a similar shore dive culture emerging.

How this reef is doing

How we measure this

Reef state

Declining

Caribbean wall diving with consistent shore access. Cover has thinned but mid depth walls hold reasonably.

Coral cover

22%
LowHealthy
Moderate

Fish life

Not surveyed

Heat

SafeBleaching

No unusual heat right now.

Safe now

Fishing

QuietBusy

Protected on paper, but boats are still busy nearby.

Limited

Sources · MERMAID and partner coral surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity

What you will see

23 species across the dive sites here

Dive sites

What divers say

Curaçao west end is what Bonaire was 15 years ago — quieter and just as good.
Caribbean regular

Good to know

Rental car

Essential for shore diving the west end.

Gear & getting wet

  • Basic kit

    • Mask and fins
    • BCD and regulator
    • 3mm full wetsuit · warm water
    • Dive computer
  • For specific sites

    • Dive light · Mushroom Forest
    • SMB + reel · Watamula
    • Dive torch · Tugboat (Tugboat Beach)