Watamula

Watamula sits at the extreme north-west tip of Curaçao, where the exposed north coast meets the calmer west coast, and is the island's most northerly dive site. Its name comes from the Dutch watermolen, watermill, for the churn here. The result is an occasional strong current and some of the most spectacular coral coverage on the island. It is a drift dive: you enter at one point and the current carries you along the reef.

The wall drops steeply from 10 m to well past 30 m, with large barrel sponges and black corals on the deeper wall and a mature hard-coral garden on the shallower zone. Creole wrasse, horse-eye jacks and occasional tarpon cruise on the current, nurse sharks pass through at times, green morays hide in crevices, and turtles feed in the shallow zone at 8 to 12 m. A tunnel runs toward Playa Gipy, where drifts usually finish. The first recorded lionfish in Curaçao was seen on neighbouring Watamula Reef in October 2009.

Because of the current it suits intermediate to advanced divers and needs boat access with a drift plan, a ride of five to eight minutes. Shore entry near Playa Gipy is possible in theory but dangerous. Surface marker buoys are essential. On calm days visibility can exceed 35 m, among the clearest on the island. If the north wind is up, plan an alternative, because Watamula becomes unsafe quickly.