Playa Piskado is a fishermen's beach in Westpunt, near the island's west point, that doubles as a shore dive. Its reef is built mostly of hard corals, and a King Neptune statue stands at the top of the drop-off. Divers come for the resident turtles that the local name Turtle Bay refers to.
Also known as Playa Piskadó, Playa Grandi, Turtle Bay.
Where it is and how deep
12.3690° N, 69.1550° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers walk in from the beach and head out to the drop-off, where the King Neptune statue stands at its very top. Beyond it the reef is mostly hard coral, with fish over every part of it, and it continues from about 12 m (40 ft) down to 36 m (120 ft). The resident turtles that gave the bay its nickname are the animals most divers look for.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
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
- Recreational and commercial boats use the bay, so an inflated surface marker buoy is mandatory on shore dives here.
Dive videos
Diving Playa Piskadó Curaçao | The Shore Dive Collection | TropicLens 4K · TropicLens on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Why is Playa Piskado also called Turtle Bay?+
Resident turtles live at the site, and locals know the beach as both Playa Grandi and Turtle Bay.
Sources
- Playa Piskadó Dive Site in Westpunt — Dive Curaçao
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap contributors
Photo credits
More dive sites in Curaçao
Rare black coral among sea fans and bottlebrush corals
Cave & cavern
A shallow air-filled cavern next to Mushroom Forest
Artificial reef
Cars, trucks and a barge stacked down a slope into deep water
Reef
A shallow bay reef with 11 metres of water at most
Eagle rays and seahorses on a fringing reef just off the beach
Reef
Elephant ear sponges and brain corals on a drop-off well offshore
Seahorses and frogfish along a vertical wall towards Small Wall
Artificial reef
A wreck and a platform on sand, 15 metres at most
Similar dives elsewhere
A staircase entry onto a reef that tips over at 9 metres
Coral in 6 m a short swim off the beach, wall to 43 m
Healthy corals on a mini wall just past Brimstone Hill
Drop into 35 m of open water, then up a sharp reef slope