On our way to go scuba diving at Kokomo Beach in Curacao, our dive guide, Herman, told us to keep our eyes open, because we were going to be passing by a bay that is a popular hangout spot for flamingos!

How awesome is that?

Sure enough, there must have been at least a hundred flamingos – all hanging out and doing whatever it is that flamingos do; catching shrimp, standing on one leg while they sleep, making romantic heart shapes with their necks while the sun sets (I wish).

Joking aside, the flamingo filled bay was absolutely beautiful…

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Kokomo Beach

Kokomo Beach is a full service beach, which means it has a restaurant, lounge chairs with optional umbrellas for shade, and bathroom facilities.

Additionally, there are some beautiful coral reefs, just off shore, that you can easily swim to, without needing a boat.

It wasn’t super crowded when we went, but it was also a far cry from a remote cove, where you feel like you’re exploring something new and undiscovered.

Personally, I like that you can get a cold beverage and hang out for a bit after a shore dive, but I also know that some people crave more rustic adventures.

I can honestly say that I see pluses and minuses to both.

The hardest part of this dive was the walk from the car in the parking lot to the beach (with all of our gear/tanks on).

The pavement was too hot to go barefoot and by this point in our trip, I’ve become convinced that Curacao is really a giant piece of protruding coral – there are sharp pieces of it everywhere.

Tip: If I dive Curacao again, which I hope to do, I should definitely pick up a pair of fin socks.

For now, we opted to wear our shoes, leave them on the beach, and cross our fingers that they’d still be there when we got back (they were).

The view under water

Once we were under the water, we saw some pretty spectacular coral reefs, filled with lots of fish and large sea sponges in vivid shades of purple and red. Everything was new and unexpected with creatures hidden in nearly every nook and cranny and camouflaged in ways that make you want to look at everything twice.

For instance, check out this Spotted Scorpionfish

This fish deserves its name; it’s an ambush hunter that kills its prey using venomous spines, Yikes!

[continue reading: Scuba Diving Curacao]