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CURACAO Netherland
Antilles
Curacao is the middle ABC island and lies 35 miles north of
Venezuela.
The port of Williamstad lures more than a quarter of a million
cruise ship
tourists a year, and this doesn't include the large amount of other
tourists.
Curacao is the center of the ABC island's government and is more
heavily
populated and industrious than its sister islands.
Located in the tropics,
just 12° north of the Equator, Curaçao has a warm, sunny climate
year round. The average temperature is about 27° C (in the mid 80s
F). Cooling trade winds blow constantly from the east, picking up in
the spring months. The rainy season, which is between October and
February, is usually marked by short, occasional showers, mostly at
night, and continued sunny weather by day. Total annual rainfall
averages only 570 mm (22 inches). Additionally, Curaçao is located
on the outer fringes of the hurricane belt. Consequently, the
frequency of hits by tropical storms is much lower than for other
parts of the Caribbean.
Since the diving in Curacao has only recently become popular, divers
will
find the coral formations are in excellent condition. Aside from the
untouched
marine life, Curacao offers colorful wall dives and steep, sloping
drop offs.
For more information about Curacao visit the Curacao Board of
Tourism’s official website –
www.curacao-tourism.com
SUPERIOR PRODUCER
The Superior Producer was a 200 foot, steel hulled freighter. In
October
of 1977, she was about to begin her voyage from St. Anna bay,
Curacao to
Venezuela. Immediately after leaving the harbor, she began to take
on
water, listed and sank. At the time of her demise, the Producer was
carrying
a mixed cargo that consisted of liquor, clothing, perfume, luggage
and
wallets.
Within hours, local divers were in the water diving as many as six
times in
one day to salvage all they could from the Producer's cargo.
Unfortunately,
many of these divers lacked deep diving experience and many ended up
with the bends as safe diving rules were ignored. As the story goes,
it was
the liquor that was harvested first, and there turned out to be some
party
that night.
The freighter now
rests on a sand bottom in 110 feet of water where the
current is sometimes strong. Sitting upright and intact, the top of
her
wheel house is in 80 feet, and her bridge is in 90 feet of water. A
toilet
can be found in the room next to the bridge; this spot makes an
interesting
photo opportunity. Just be careful of the fire coral on the rim of
the seat.
Visibility ranges from 100 to 150 feet.
A large green moray eel has made the deck winch of the Superior
Producer
his home. Also seen in the area of the wreck have been large manta
rays
and schools of barracuda consisting of twenty to thirty fish.
TOWBOAT
This tiny tugboat
rests in only 17 feet of water in the Curacao Underwater Park. Photo
courtesy Curacao
Department of Tourism.
This tiny wreck, which is also known as the Tug Boat wreck is only
about
a mile away from the wreck of the Superior Producer. The Towboat is
a
25 foot tug boat that looks exactly like any larger tug, only
miniaturized.
The wreck is in the Curacao Underwater Park and is sitting upright
on a
white sandy bottom in only 17 feet of water. The Towboat is a very
popular
dive for beginners as well as snorkelers. Experienced underwater
photographers
also visit this site to shoot both wide angle and macro shots. Some
of the
nicer macro photos are of black sea horses that are sometimes found
on
the wreck. Divers will find her wheel house an ideal location- for
pictures.
SS Oranje Nassau
According to Curacao.com This wreck can be accessed from the
Seaquarium area, a recommended above-water site for visitors. Swim
through the lagoon and out to the left (southeast), for about three
minutes to the SS
Oranje Nassau. A steamship built
in 1884 and owned by the Royal West India Company, it grounded
during a fierce storm in 1906. Look for very healthy coral, morays
and lots of small reef fish.
Basic shipwreck
information and images for the Caribbean section of this site was
taken with permission from the book Tropical Shipwrecks by Daniel
and Denise Berg.
You are invited to
submit your shipwreck related articles, images and information. As
long as the text, photographs, sketches etc are of professional
quality we will showcase them. Full credit will be provide and a
same page link to your web site can be arranged.
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