November 2011    Download the Entire Issue (PDF)

Vol. 26, No. 11   What's this?

Lion’s Dive & Beach Resort, Curacao

for families, suntanners and easy divers

from the November, 2011 issue of Undercurrent  

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Dear Fellow Diver,

Watching coral not spawning is hard work! I traveled to Curacao during one of the mid-September weeks coral is supposed to spawn. The special evening dive, at a price of $85, began with a coral spawning presentation and a picnic supper, then onto the boats for a short ride to the dive site. I entered the water along with 40 other divers, picked a coral head that looked like it might decide to spawn -- who am I to know? -- and spent one hour and 15 minutes trying to watch the coral head while practicing perfectly neutral buoyancy so it wouldn't spawn on the sly when I wasn't looking. I was reminded of my trip to see the swirling manta rays feeding at night in Hawaii. They didn't show up, either. The next night, three of us went out from shore to the exact same coral heads--still not spawning, but a feeding octopus made the dive worthwhile.

I was with a group of divers staying at Lion's Dive and Beach Resort. Tabor Tours had met our group and transported us the 20 minutes to the resort. Check-in was quick, although the staff forgot to give some of the people their towel cards, and some divers had to wait for rooms. They urged us to meet quickly at the dive shop for our briefing before the staff went home at 5 p.m. so we would have our locker assignments and wouldn't have to waste time in the morning. Very efficient....