On Assignment in Curaçao for Sport Diver Magazine

I don't care to get excited about a trip long before departure, and you won't see me start packing way ahead either. I like to save my excitement for the day I leave! Once past airport security, after a stop at the coffee shop, and then settled in at the gate, I get into the traveling mode and start to get pumped.

This trip was going to be different from most of my dive travel. I was returning to Curaçao on a mission, and this trip would be a personal stretch for me. It meant an opportunity to do something special, a photo assignment, and the challenge of writing this article. I've certainly shot my share of pictures above and below the water and done some writing from time to time, but the thought of having an article published by Sport Diver magazine, traveling with Ty Sawyer and Amos Nachoum - well, it was almost too good to be true. Even others could sense my excitement.

The view out the window was a spotted random pattern, quickly growing larger and more detailed, unfolding into a painter's palette of oranges, grays, shades of green and varieties of tan. Out of those colors grew a rolling and bluff-like landscape. Yes, I was landing in Curaçao - now let the excitement begin!

Hilly, almost mountainous and an arid island, Curaçao reaches up out of the turquoise sea as high as 1,300 feet. The landscape is covered with varieties of cacti and shrubs, giving it a desert-like appearance, not normally found or expected in the Caribbean. The coastline exposes a striking cross-section of the island and shows the many layers the earth heaved out of the sea to form the island.

Perched atop a bluff in the quiet, southwest side of the island is Sunset Waters Resort. This would be home for the next few days, offering a chance to enjoy the diving, beach and sunsets. The resort offers wonderful views of the shoreline and spectacular sunsets to draw an end to the perfect day. Many of the rooms have been recently renovated and offer beautiful views of the shoreline.

Sunset Waters Resort has a beautiful sand beach at the foot of the restaurant overlook. A break wall shelters the shallow beach area, a perfect setting for children, a nondiver or just to catch up on that book. Kayaks, floats, pedal boats and snorkel equipment are available to break up that quiet time on the beach.

The restaurant overlooking the water opens at 8 a.m. for breakfast, but at 7:30 you can manage a cup of coffee, some fruit and a roll in time to get to the dive boat. After diving the warm waters, enjoying a rest on the beach, grabbing a hot shower and building an appetite, lunch and dinner are a welcome relief. The menu offers American and Caribbean fare. What a way to end the day: a great meal and a gorgeous sunset.

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A resort bar and a Dutch island: Take a guess at what's plentiful? You're right; Amstel beer. If you're not a beer connoisseur, try the other drinks, including island specials, cocktails, wine and liqueurs. The last night at the resort, I asked for my drink of preference, only to find out the bar did not carry my particular brand. The bartender offered to stop on his way to work the next day, pick up a bottle of my favorite and add it to the bar. How cool? Except I was leaving the next morning. Just my luck, right?

In between resorts, I had the opportunity to do a two-tank afternoon dive at Habitat Curaçao. Having been there after last the holiday season, it was a pleasure to see Anna Marie again and exchange hugs. Several staff stopped to say hello and mentioned my last stay. What a nice staff - it's not that I'm that memorable!

Habitat Curaçao has very distinctive architecture, a cross between European and Southwestern with the colors of the Caribbean. The rooms have large patios or balconies for lovely views of the resort and ocean, perfect for a few moments of tranquility before having dinner. The restaurant overlooks the water, and Mother Nature puts on a show of color with those wonderful Caribbean sunsets.

OK, so you have family members or children who don't dive and you want to experience the thrill and adventure of a more urban and upbeat stay on the island. Just east of Willemstad is Breezes Resort and Casino. Here your family can enjoy everything from the beach, circus trapeze, rock-wall climbing, paddle boats, kayaking, arcade games and special activities throughout the day - of course, try your hand at the casino, too! At the same time, you get to go off and enjoy the diving in Curaçao.

Breezes offers fine dining, including Japanese cuisine, buffet-style eating and a snack bar on the beach. Pools and whirlpools of varying shapes and sizes are integrated into the beachfront landscape and overlook the beach. The pool includes a fantasy style swim-up bar for a cool one, with or without the little umbrella, to quench that parched taste that comes after basking in the Caribbean sun.

How comforting to relax in my double queen/king size room with sitting area and spacious balcony overlooking the beachfront activity area! Although much of the room was 220 volts, a couple of 110-volt outlets allowed me to charge camera batteries, run my laptop and operate my electric shaver.

OK you've waited long enough, on to the heart of this article - the DIVING. Diving in Curaçao offers something for everyone. You can experience deep or shallow diving, shore diving, boat diving. Got a group to satisfy? Then Curaçao is your pearl of the Caribbean.

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Many of the dive sites are a short boat ride from the local dive resorts. Enjoy Santa Cruz, the Mushroom Forest, Lost Anchor, College Reef, Hell's Corner, Mako's Mountain, Long Beach and Cas Abou. You'll find that many of the reefs are sloped and tiered. They can accommodate the novice and the more advanced diver alike. It's easy to change the view of the reef - make your trip out deeper than the return trip. It's like getting two dives in one. If you dive the reef a second time, then chose two different depths. It's like a brand-new dive site!

For deeper adventures, try the Superior Producer, at 104 feet. You'll find some great wide-angle photography at the bottom, then multi-level up to 85 feet for a cruise along the deck exposing the cargo holds. The history behind this wreck depends on your divemaster. Some claim the ship took on water when cargo shifted and sank, others claim a British attempt to sink the ship during World War II caused the cargo to shift and sent the ship to its current resting spot. Reason aside, it's a great wreck to dive. Conditions on the wreck vary with the current. It can be dead-calm one day and have a swift current the next day. I experienced both conditions in two consecutive days.

Want a wreck not so challenging? Try the wreck at Saba. This tug sits in 15 to 30 feet of water and is next to the reef drop-off. The shallow water provides a lot of light and plenty of opportunities to use the wheelhouse for portraits of your dive buddy.

It's no secret that I'm the slowest-moving diver; I admit it. I like to take my time and snoop around the cracks and crevices of the reef. If you do the same, look for the plentiful corkscrew anemones, where it's easy to find to up to three or four Pederson cleaner shrimp waiting for the next cleaning customer. Giant anemones are plentiful in the reefs of Curaçao. Relax and hover there for a while, let the currents sweep back and forth over the anemone tentacles and you're sure to see spotted cleaner shrimp. Continue looking in the crevices and openings in the coral and you'll be sure to find arrow crabs. Often they can be found in a group of two or more.

As you swim around the reef, watch for those thin white strands the size of fishing line extending from under coral ledges. Peek underneath and you'll see banded coral shrimp. And you should see the eels, green moray and spotted alike. You'd think they sent an invitation to come see Tom the Diver. If you can't find a spotted drum in Curaçao, something's wrong. I have to tell you this story:

It was the end of the dive at Hell's Corner; I was doing a safety stop in 15 feet of water. Glancing under a soft coral I caught a glimpse of not one, not two, but three juvenile spotted drums. I slowly moved over to look closer, and instead of darting off, they remained in their little playground, swimming around. I raised my camera to start snapping pictures thinking they'd hide, but no, they just continued swimming in their little playground. I hovered there for a good five minutes, watching and photographing. When we got back aboard the boat, everyone was in awe of these little guys. It was like watching children at play.

Let's not forget about our sponge friends. It's seems impossible to not find tube sponges. In some cases they're so large you have to swim around them. Often my 20 mm wide-angle lens didn't seem wide enough to fit them into the frame. When photographing them, be careful to have enough flash distance to cover their depth.

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In addition to the tube sponges, wait until you see the elephant ear sponges - they're huge and have the brightest orange color. Try Lost Anchor or College Reef for an abundant collection. They're found in all shapes and sizes, some clamshell-shaped, some horizontal, some vertical and many with random growth patterns. They're amazing. When you photograph them, remember to compose your shot putting the blue water in the background and include your dive buddy for some striking impact!

Take some time during your dive to hover around a patch of lettuce coral or mounds of stony coral. You'll be treated to a microcosm of damselfish and blennies amidst Christmas tree worms of every color. Let everything get accustomed to your presence and watch with delight at the world that opens up just for you!

Our last dive day was spent on the reef outside Breezes Resort. I dived with two other divers in our group and enjoyed a nice, easy dive along the reef. The goal was to find the local seahorse on the reef. We didn't have much luck with the seahorse, but as our last diver climbed out of the water she yelled up to alert us to the scorpionfish sitting on a rock next to the ladder at the end of the dock. Nothing else would do: We put on mask, fins and snorkel to check him out. Sure enough, there he was, as if to say, "See ya next time!"

It's hard to believe, but some people need things to do in addition to diving - go figure! If you fit that category, then check out the night life. Take a cab or your rental car over to Behind the Movies in Punda and stop in at Tu Tu Tango. Meet with your friends for dinner, and afterward enjoy a drink at the outdoor bar - you'll find some great people watching. Enjoy the video projections on the side of the building and dance to music played by a local DJ.

Now here's a head's-up: For great barbecued chicken and steak, you have to make your way to Equus, located off Caracasbaai Road. Yes, It's a horse farm, the menu is easy - steak or chicken - and it's great. I know exactly what you're thinking: steak? Horse farm? No connection! Place your order. When it's ready, the 30-inch long skewers are hung on a hook over your table, served with warm grill-toasted bread. Simply grab a piece of bread and pull off a tasty cube of meat. You won't believe the taste of the steak. Don't even try to get a hint, let alone the recipe for the marinade from the cook, who is also the owner. He's not telling! Just enjoy the food. The wait might be a little long, but the time will fly by watching the staff behind the bar dance to the music while you enjoy a cool one. Don't forget to glance over at the cooking owner; he'll be dancing too.

Take some time and make a trip over to Senior & Co. in the Chobolobo Mansion. Why? It's the home of the famous Curaçao liqueur. The drink comes from the peel of oranges grown on the island. The trees transplanted onto the island produced fruit that was not very tasty, but someone discovered that it produced an excellent alcoholic drink. The drink became the now-famous Curaçao Liqueur. The orange peel may be bitter, but the liqueur is very, very good - try a sip.

The Curaçao Ostrich and Game Farm, open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is the home to over 600 birds. Tours are available, and the guide will tell you about the farm and its inhabitants. You'll even have the chance to stroke a little chick, hold an ostrich egg and see adult ostriches. Reservations are suggested. A visit to the gift shop will tempt you with African stone and wood carvings, clothing and painted eggs. A restaurant and bar, open for lunch and dinner, serves South African-style food.

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Originally built to ward off pirates and French and British fleets, Fort Beekenburg overlooks Caracas Bay. The fort got its name from Director van Beek, planner of the city's defenses from 1701 to 1704. A narrow footpath through the local nature-scape takes you to the fort. Once atop the fort, the view is something to behold.

Willemstad: Get your bling-bling here! Remember earlier, when I talked about things for your nondiving friends or family to do? Well, here you go: Take them to Willemstad. This city reflects the combined Dutch and Caribbean influence in its architecture. If it wasn't for the bright lime, pink, yellow and light blue colors of the buildings on the waterfront, you'd think you were in Europe.

The Willemstad area is broken into two sections: Punda and Otrobanda (meaning "other side"). Sint Annabaai divides the two sections of the city, and a ferry takes passengers from one side to the other. Normally a floating swing bridge is also available for pedestrian use, but it has been pulled from service for repair.

Wander through the narrow European-style streets of Punda, where you'll find plenty of shopping: jewelry, CDs, electronics, cameras, clothing, souvenirs and more! A walk through the floating market will treat your senses to the experience of food shopping, Caribbean-style. Take time to visit the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, which dates back to 1732. It's located facing into a large courtyard-style parking area that is very quiet and exhibits some great local architecture.

Surface Innterval: Willemstad - Shopping, Food and Architecture Equus Horse Farm - Open Friday nights for great barbecue beef and chicken on skewers Curaçao Distillery - See how a bad-tasting orange turns into a world-class liqueur The Curaçao Ostrich and Game Farm - Experience these unique birds Fort Beekenburg - A part of Curaçao's past with beautiful views

Don't worry about getting hungry or thirsty while walking the streets of Willemstad. A stroll down Handelskade and you'll find tables under canopies or umbrellas with great views of Sint Annabaai on one side and the restaurants on the other side of the street. Waiters and waitresses hop back and forth from the restaurant to your table.

Often when traveling the Caribbean, you are left only peace and quiet and a few local restaurants. On Curaçao you'll find it all, for the diver and nondiver alike. There's so much to keep everyone busy while you and your dive buddy enjoy world-class diving. Once you slip into island mode, it may be difficult to pull yourself back to the normal lifestyle you have at home. Hey, Curaçao may just tempt you to give up that lifestyle at home - who knows? I do know that I'll be looking forward to a return trip and the next opportunity to experience this beautiful island again, both above and below the water. Next time it will be difficult, if not impossible to keep that excitement under control before takeoff at the airport! Maybe, just maybe we'll meet there.