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Divers descend through blue water past a school of creole wrasse on a Curaçao reef

Curaçao · Curaçao · Reef

Daaibooi

Elephant ear sponges and brain corals on a drop-off well offshore

Area photo: LASZLO ILYES · CC BY 2.0

Daaibooi is a quiet beach next to the Coral Estates resort in Sint Willibrordus, dived from shore or by boat. Its drop-off lies some way out, and the reef there holds a mix of soft coral, elephant ear sponges and brain corals that repays the swim.

Also known as Playa Daaibooi, Daaibooi Beach.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Daaibooi: typical dive 6–36 m (20–118 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit6 m36 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

12.2119° N, 69.0866° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Shore divers face a surface swim, because the drop-off lies far from the beach. Once there, the reef shows healthy coral variety: soft coral, elephant ear sponges and brain corals, from about 6 m (20 ft) down to 36 m (120 ft).

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Daaibooi
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodFairFairFair

Season follows Curaçao: Diving runs all year; October to February is the rainy season, and May to November brings warmer water and fewer crowds.

Know before you go

  • Boats use the bay; an inflated surface marker buoy is mandatory for shore diving.

Dive videos

Diving with the Eagles - Diving at Daaibooi HD 1080P · caribeaansportsCUR on YouTube

Sources

  1. Daaibooi Beach Dive Site — Dive Curaçao
  2. Playa Daaibooi — SSI

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Jan Thiel Baai

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Kokomo Beach

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