We’ve have not been snorkeling as much as usual. Not for any reason, really, just haven’t seemed to jump in the ocean as often as usual. I guess with the lock down, we kind of got out of the habit of being in the ocean.
Yesterday we decided to try a late in the afternoon swim. The winds seem to die off in the back half of the day, so we decided to go jump in. It was nice and warm and the water was pretty clear. Sometimes the little bay where we enter the water gets cloudy from all the bodies, but it hasn’t been busy, so the water was nice and clear.
We saw the usual suspects and had a nice time, and then as we were about to leave, we spotted a big octopus. He was definitely the biggest we’ve ever seen here in Blue Bay, and as big as any we’ve ever seen.
He hung around a chunk of coral and let us check him out over and over again.
It’s been a while since we’ve hopped in the ocean. We’ve spent more time on the golf course than cruising the ocean. But today, we jumped in the ocean here at Blue Bay.
It was a bit cool, but we quickly adjusted to the temperature. One thing about the ocean, there are pockets that feel much warmer, so you want to spend a few extra minutes there!
The visibility was quite good, excellent in fact. We saw what we’ve come to call the “usual suspects.” One thing that was kind of interesting was seeing two octopuses. Not often we see two here in our little protected bay.
It was nice to get back in the ocean, and I can bet we’ll be back in much sooner than the last time!
Mike has come down to Curacao to escape the rain and cold of a Vancouver October. His first day here we decided to just jump in the ocean at here at Blue Bay Beach. Saw lots of fun stuff, including flying gurnards, octopus and turtles. A really fun first snorkel.
The weather has been a bit, shall we say, volatile? We’ve had some crazy rain, and some awesome thunder and lightning. But it sure is amazing how quickly the place greens up with just a little bit of water. Although, I wouldn’t quite say it was a little water! Tropical rain showers really do dump a ton of water in a hurry.
We had a nice snorkel today at Caracasbaii. The wreck that is so close to the shore usually provides some fun stuff to see, but today was all about the side show. If you head to the right, toward the new building sites, there is a lot of very nice coral, in quite shallow waters. Today we saw so many eels, it was unreal. But the big show stopper today was an octopus. He was in about three feet of water, so we got to spend quite a bit of time with him.
He was one of the bigger octopus that we have seen, and he was totally unconcerned with us. Usually when you get close to an octopus they try to make themselves look big, and they go all white. This guy, not so much. I could get within two inches of him, and no reaction.
I’ve added a little movie of him, just to show you how unconcerned he seemed. We followed him for quite a while, and he never did hide or get all worried at all. The only time he reacted with the white coloration, was when a damsel fish started pecking at him. Fun day of snorkeling, for sure!
We have been snapping photos of artwork around the island. Some have been sculptures, while others seem to be graffiti. Pam really likes the one in the header (called the featured picture) of this post, of a couple of birds. It’s quite large and very sweet.
The one on the right here is rather unusual. We are not sure what it is supposed to be, but almost seems to encouraging people to read? Not sure. It is located near Playa Daiibooi at the entrance to the Coral Estates, a lovely gated community here in Curacao. It is very tall, about 12 or 15 feet.
The photo on the left is one of the newer art installations in Blue Bay. It is on the golf course, near the club house. I really like the metal work of it, but we’re not sure what it is supposed to be. They say art is in the eye of the beholder, so do you behold a hippo, or a unicorn?
We’ve been doing some snorkeling, of course, and have seen so many fun things. We’ve explored lots of beaches, some we’ve never been to before. But it seems we see the most exciting stuff right in our backyard beach of Blue Bay. This movie of an octopus is kinda fun. If you look closely as he’s swimming, you will notice one tentacle on the left upper side is noticeably shorter. It has started to regrow, but it’s still quite a but shorter than the rest. He’s a very good size, and was being a bully to a smaller octopus.
I have been surprised by how few people there are here. When we’ve been in the Caribbean for Christmas in the past, it’s been very busy. This year I’d call it dead! One day there was only ONE person laying on “the point,” a normally very busy section of the resort that has bar service. Is it the economy? Fear of ISIS, as one restauranteur insisted? I don’t really know, but it is concerning.
In the casinos, most of the people used to be visitors, having a bit of fun on a night out. There is precious little night life here on Bonaire (one of the things we like and dislike) and the casinos are a nice diversion. The other night, we were in the casino, and there was only one other vacationer – all the rest were locals. Used to be us tourists injecting the cash! That can’t bode well can it?
But what keeps people coming back, of course, are the diving and snorkeling opportunities. If there is no dock, entry into the ocean is often very difficult here, due to the mostly rocky coastline. But somehow Bonaire has allowed it’s best coastline to be gobbled up by individuals who restrict access to the sea, as if it is their private playground. On Bari Beach, some one has constructed a rock wall barrier right on the beach to block people from using the only sandy entry point to the bay. They have even put up No Trespassing signs!
It is unconscionable that this is allowed to go on. For the most part, Bonaireans don’t seem to care that this is the case. And people like Pam and I are wondering why bother coming back? If you’re going to go the route of Aruba and lose your soul for the all mighty dollar, then you deserve your fate. And maybe empty hotels, bars, and beaches will impress upon them the need to change. But I’m not holding my breath…
Do I want something for free? Not at all! Do I mind paying to enter the ocean if someone has constructed a dock? Absolutely NOT – I’ll gladly help pay for any infrastructure.
We pay fees at a lot of the bays in Curacao – Jan Thiel, Blue Bay, and others have parking fees, as well as beach chair fees. Not a problem. You’ve created something for which you should be paid.
Places like Captain Don’s resort say they have a fee for snorkelers to use their facilities, but every time we try to pay it, they tell us to go ahead and jump in. As a result, we grab our lunch in their restaurant after our snorkel – it is a win-win situation. They get way more of our money, and we get an easy entry into the ocean.
Here’s a brief movie just to put the focus back on the ocean, which is why we come here!
I have been surprised by how few people there are here. When we’ve been in the Caribbean for Christmas in the past, it’s been very busy. This year I’d call it dead! One day there was only ONE person laying on “the point,” a normally very busy section of the resort that has bar service. Is it the economy? Fear of ISIS, as one restauranteur insisted? I don’t really know, but it is concerning.
In the casinos, most of the people used to be visitors, having a bit of fun on a night out. There is precious little night life here on Bonaire (one of the things we like and dislike) and the casinos are a nice diversion. The other night, we were in the casino, and there was only one other vacationer – all the rest were locals. Used to be us tourists injecting the cash! That can’t bode well can it?
But what keeps people coming back, of course, are the diving and snorkeling opportunities. If there is no dock, entry into the ocean is often very difficult here, due to the mostly rocky coastline. But somehow Bonaire has allowed it’s best coastline to be gobbled up by individuals who restrict access to the sea, as if it is their private playground. On Bari Beach, some one has constructed a rock wall barrier right on the beach to block people from using the only sandy entry point to the bay. They have even put up No Trespassing signs!
It is unconscionable that this is allowed to go on. For the most part, Bonaireans don’t seem to care that this is the case. And people like Pam and I are wondering why bother coming back? If you’re going to go the route of Aruba and lose your soul for the all mighty dollar, then you deserve your fate. And maybe empty hotels, bars, and beaches will impress upon them the need to change. But I’m not holding my breath…
Do I want something for free? Not at all! Do I mind paying to enter the ocean if someone has constructed a dock? Absolutely NOT – I’ll gladly help pay for any infrastructure.
We pay fees at a lot of the bays in Curacao – Jan Thiel, Blue Bay, and others have parking fees, as well as beach chair fees. Not a problem. You’ve created something for which you should be paid.
Places like Captain Don’s resort say they have a fee for snorkelers to use their facilities, but every time we try to pay it, they tell us to go ahead and jump in. As a result, we grab our lunch in their restaurant after our snorkel – it is a win-win situation. They get way more of our money, and we get an easy entry into the ocean.
Here’s a brief movie just to put the focus back on the ocean, which is why we come here!
We’ve have not been snorkeling as much as usual. Not for any reason, really, just haven’t seemed to jump in the ocean as often as usual. I guess with the lock down, we kind of got out of the habit of being in the ocean.
We saw the usual suspects and had a nice time, and then as we were about to leave, we spotted a big octopus. He was definitely the biggest we’ve ever seen here in Blue Bay, and as big as any we’ve ever seen.
