Beacon Point at Jan Thiel
Beacon Point at Jan Thiel is locally known as Kabes di Baranka (“Head of the Rock”). This dive site is one of the most spectacular boat diving sites in Curacao.
This dive site is located inside the Curacao Marine Park on the western tip of Caracasbaai, between Divers Leap and Lost Anchor. It is renowned for the vertical wall that drops 30 meters (100 feet) and famous for its stunning pillar coral formations.
Be sure to look out into the blue during this intermediate to advanced dive where you might see large jacks, groupers or even barracuda chasing after their lunch.
Discover Jan Thiel Beach
Jan Thiel Beach Curaçao is the place to be! Located near Beacon Point, this Curaçao beach is a place where you can relax with an ice cold cocktail or let their chefs surprise you with a mouth-watering meal to appease your after dive cravings! Jan Thiel Beach is also a destination where you can discover a world of entertainment plus all the possibilities at the beach.
Dive Site Recommendations
- Dive Type: Boat
- Snorkel Site: No
- Experience Level: Drift / Advanced (Min)
- Depth: 40 -120ft (12-36m)
Special Notes
Due to recreational & commercial boat traffic, an inflated surface marker buoy is mandatory when shore diving. Consult a recommended Curaçao Dive Operator for additional details & recommendations.
When the Second World War started the Dutch government hurriedly upgraded our islands’ defences. The upgrading of defenses included the installation an anti-submarine fence near Beacon Point, between the west and east sides of Caracasbaai, to protect this critical Caribbean re-fueling station. The partial remains of this fence can still be seen today embedded into the sea floor below the famous Curaçao Tugboat on the east side of Caracasbaai.
From the beginning it became clear that especially our capacity to refine oil needed protection. The ‘Schutterij’ was founded, a small local militia which gradually grew to contain almost 3000 members.
Caracasbaai Curacao in World War II
When the war broke out, British troops came to Curaçao and in 1942 more than 1500 American soldiers arrived in Curaçao to help in the defence, replacing the British. Just in time to protect oil tankers and other ships against the German submarine attacks which ended up causing many deaths after all.
Interesting Fact: On 16 February 1942, World War ll reached Curaçao and Aruba. Torpedo attacks by German U-boats destroyed boats off the shores of Aruba and in Curaçao the Rafaela, a Dutch steam tanker, was torpedoed.
The arrival of especially the American troops brought about drastic change. Not only did they introduce and popularize things like the use of ice, but they also helped improve the infrastructure of for instance the Hato airport.
Click Here to learn more about Curaçao’s history.
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