Imagine getting to swim with sea turtles for however long you’d like. Nobody is directing you or telling you what to do. And the best part is- it's free! If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, then plan an epic vacation to Playa Piskado in Curacao!
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It’s part of the ABC Islands in the Caribbean Islands: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. All three islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Playa Piskado is truly a hidden gem.
These turtles are sharing (or maybe fighting) over a the remains of a fish, dropped by the fisherman above.
There are no parking fees (but you just park on the side of the road), and also no concession stands or lifeguards, which means you should pack a lunch and swim with a buddy! You need to bring your own snorkel, mask, and towel as well. The only thing the locals might charge you for, is the lounge chairs they bought and put out by the water. You can play a fun game of “spot the iguana” while they take lounge on the tree branches hidden far above you. There is also sea glass aplenty and tons of room to explore the rocks and cliffs.
This guy was sunbathing and trying to blend in.
What we liked best about this gorgeous place is that the sea turtles are there on their own accord and you have a chance to see them in their natural habitat. They aren’t part of any excursion and the reason they stay nearby is because of the fisherman who stand at the docks and sell their freshly caught fish (another perk)! They toss the extra bits of fish into the water and attract the turtles into a feeding frenzy.
One of the local fishermen heading to the dock.
We were lucky to see around 10 to 15 sea turtles. We saw sizes as little as Squirt and as big as Crush from "Finding Nemo."
This turtle seemed to float around for awhile and couldn't be more graceful.
When you travel to very popular places, like the Bahamas, you typically have to book excursions if you want to find something cool to do. Nothing wrong with paid excursions, we've been on plenty, but if you're looking for a more low-key, authentic experience, Playa Piskado is wonderful. You will need a vehicle to get out there because it is on the far west coast of the island, away from all of the tourism, and will be about a 45 minute drive.
Our friend Lorie recently moved to Curacao and has visited the beach four times. She has seen turtles every time she has been! The best times to see these beautiful creatures would probably be around midday. (Don't hold me to that!). Something we should’ve done, was buy the local fish and grill it up later for dinner. I guess we will have to go back!
It looks like this guy was chomping down on some fish gills! Yuck!
The turtles just seem so chill. They just cruise around you and explore, but with a swish of their fins, they can disappear in an instant. They’re surprisingly very fast creatures when they want to be.
Jeremy trying to capture the moment!
All the underwater shots were taken with the GoPro Hero 7 Black attached to a selfie stick from LifeStyle Designs. On your way out to Playa Piskado, keep your eye out for flamingos. Along the road there's some bodies of shallow water and we saw a large family of flamingos out getting some lunch.
The flocks of flamingos grazing through the waters.
Also towards that side of the island is Daai Booi beach where we saw a wild pig roaming around. This beach also has a cool trail, lined with cacti, where you can walk along the cliff side. Be careful!
So stoked to see a wild pig. It's coat was very coarse and wiry.
We saw children playing on the beach and the teacher in me felt compelled to go say hi. They speak a language called Papiamento in Curacao, similar to Spanish. Communicating was difficult but we managed to say hellos, talked about school, and learned they've been to this beach several times but had never seen the turtles from underwater. We decided to share our snorkel gear with them and explore together. We wanted them to have a chance to look underwater and see the fantastic turtles!
Jenna helping the local child adjust his goggles so he could see the turtles.
This was easily one of the best wildlife experiences we’ve had on a trip. If you're planning your next tropical adventure, we would absolutely recommend Curacao! Thank you for reading! Now go out there and Quench Your Adventure!
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