La palapa is a newly discovered reef. The dive is different from the average shore dive on Curaçao, where you normally follow the drop-off. For this dive, start by swimming in the blue, away from the drop-off. Your guide will bring a compass to determine the direction. After about 5 minutes of ‘flying’ in the blue, you will see a pinnacle appear in front of you. This highlight is home to a dozen green turtles. You will see the turtles sleeping on sponges, swimming to the surface to breathe or searching for a tasty seaweed. Of course we only look at the turtles. Those turtles are not allowed to be fed and it is forbidden to touch them.
La Palapa is not an easy dive site. The entrance can be quite tricky if the sea is rough, due to rocks and holes in the water. Also, if you are afraid of heights/depths, you may want to skip the open water swimming. You can participate in this dive as an open water diver, but we want to make sure that you are comfortable in the water and that you are a good diver.
