Marine Life & Conservation
Sustainable & Responsible Tourism on Curaçao
Many tourists who visit Curaçao, travel here to experience the incredible beauty of the Caribbean Sea and the amazing coral reef system, that is a bevy of healthy biodiversity, only seen by scuba diving or snorkeling. But, like the world over, Curaçao’s coral reefs are facing multiple environmental threats that have been largely induced by apathy and complacency. The list of threats is seemingly endless but a few examples include water pollution, construction, marine debris, and overfishing which subsequently damages and destroys coral reefs. Therefore, there is an imminent need for sustainable and responsible tourism.
“Our ocean and dive sites are an important component of our Tourism Product. It is therefore a shared responsibility of the whole community to conserve and positively contribute to our natural resources, such as our ocean and dive sites for the benefit of our future generations.” – Miles Mercera, CHATA CEO
However, to create sustainable and responsible change, a commitment from the entire community is needed. The government, the private sector, tourists and Curaçaoan citizens alike need to come together to support great initiatives such as the Coral Restoration Foundation Curaçao and the Project AWARE “Adopt A Dive Site” Initiative led by the CHATA Dive Task Force.
Coral Restoration Foundation Curaçao
The Coral Restoration Foundation Curaçao (CRFC) officially began operations in May 2015. Initially, only starting the nursery (located on the Ocean Encounters house reef at Lions Dive & Beach Resort) with 400 coral fragments of Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) hanging from 10 “trees”. An additional 10 trees were installed later that year that were populated with fragments of corals from the first trees. A year later, the nurseries held 1250 corals.
Since the launch in 2015, CRFC has successfully out planted over 2400 corals at various popular dive sites along Curaçao’s southeastern coastline. Additionally, the Foundation’s Board plans to “branch out” and expand the nurseries by enlisting two CRFC affiliate members which will then provide triple the number of coral fragments available to be out planted back onto the fringing reefs.
The program’s main goal is to bring back the shallow-water populations of staghorn corals in Curacao, which would not only help mitigate the possible effects of climate change but also rejuvenate reef fisheries and biodiversity, as well as help dive tourism. It’s meant to supplement the work currently being done in the region by the SECORE Foundation, another worldwide reef conservation nonprofit organization.
“The significance of the Curaçao Reef Restoration Program is that together as a community here on Curaçao, we will be restoring our shallow water reef system while educating our youth about the importance of protecting and preserving our natural ecosystem,” according to Jeremiah Peek, CRFC Board Chairperson & Managing Director at Ocean Encounters Diving, who adds: “I believe programs like this help solidify a natural sustainability for future generations.”
Project AWARE – Adopt a Dive Site Initiative
The Curaçao Hospitality & Tourism Association’s (CHATA) Dive Task Force is taking action against Marine Debris and six of its members have committed to the Project AWARE – Adopt a Dive Site™ initiative by adopting their house reefs and pledging to conduct monthly Dive Against Debris beach & dive site clean ups.
“The commitment of the Dive Task Force to the Dive Against Debris and Adopt a Dive Site Initiatives is an important step towards the creation of awareness regarding the negative effects of marine debris on the island and ultimately the conservation of our ocean.” – Miles Mercera, CHATA CEO
The Dive Bus, CURious 2 Dive, Ocean Encounters Diving, Scuba Lodge Dive Center, Atlantis Diving and Goby Divers have each adopted a dive site through the Project AWARE Adopt a Dive Site initiative, running free clean-up dives each month.
Volunteers are always needed and very welcome, so if you’re a certified diver visiting or living on Curaçao, join one of the Dive Against Debris Events to help to remove marine debris and make a difference. To date, 215 volunteer divers have removed 348 kgs / 778 lbs of debris from Curaçao’s reefs.
Mark Pinnell, Managing Director of The Dive Bus and PADI Ambassadiver says, “As divers – and even more so as Dive Industry professionals – we have a responsibility to advocate a message of sustainability and to enable our divers plus the local community to protect and respect our oceans and reefs.”
Be inspired. Become an Ocean Advocate for a Sustainable Future!
Our Oceans, Our Future, Our Responsibility.
Pictures & Video courtesy of Nature Pics, Coral Restoration Foundation Curaçao, The Dive Bus & Dive Curaçao.
Find out more at Dive Curaçao.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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