The Tugboat
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
A small harbor tug settled decades ago onto the shelf at Caracas Bay, and shallow water has been kind to it: at five meters, sunlight keeps the little hull blazing with tube sponges, brain corals, and clouds of chromis, making it possibly the most photographed five meters in Curaçao. Snorkelers hang over it, open-water students circle it, and photographers shoot it from every angle before sliding over the adjacent wall, which falls past thirty meters beneath old pier pilings. The combination of postcard wreck and honest wall in one easy entry explains the site's enduring traffic.
The moment you come for: Sun-drenched photogenic tug at five meters, bonus wall dive alongside
Topography: Sand shelf holding the tug, dropping onto a coral wall
Entry: Easy entry from the small beach at Caracas Bay; the tug sits a short swim out in five meters.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Weekend swimmer and boat traffic in the bay; sharp metal edges on the tug.
Who you'll meet
Christmas Tree Worm
Common Reef (Day) Octopus
Great Barracuda
Lionfish
Porcupinefish
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★★★☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting