Divers from all over the world came together in Curaçao to participate in the re-formatted 2019 Curaçao International Diving Festival. After a ten year hiatus, the Curaçao 2019 Dive Festival puts a direct spotlight on Curaçao as a World Class Dive Vacation destination.
By Els Kroon, Independent Journalist for the ANTILLIAANS DAGBLAD
Curaçao 2019 Dive Festival puts a direct spotlight on Curaçao
The enthusiastic driving force behind this successful renewed attention for Curaçao as a diving destination was Bryan Horne who humbly admits that he is “proud to lead the return of Curacao Dive Festival that has signaled an unprecedented collaboration for sustainable tourism, ocean conservation and a union of the Curacao tourism stakeholders that includes a long list of dedicated industry sponsors!”
As diver born in Canada, Bryan came to the island approximately fourteen years ago and never left. Since arriving, he has been closely involved in the ups and downs this unique underwater world. Bryan is the creator and founder of the Dive Curaçao, an independent platform with includes a vast resource of information about scuba diving and snorkeling in Curaçao.
“It was love at first sight”, Horne said at the opening of the festival on the terrace of the Avila Beach Hotel… “I came to Curaçao for ‘Kids Sea Camp’ and have remained since. ” In his early years he served as a PADI Master Instructor, Commercial Boat Captain and safety diver, with experiences that have included Ocean Encounters, GO WEST Diving and Substation Curaçao.
In 2009, in co-operation with Carmabi and GO WEST Diving, he even participated in the capture of the first lionfish on Curaçao, where he quickly realized the threat of this species for the surrounding reefs of Curaçao before the effect was well known for the fish populations around the island. This awareness lead him to launch Lionfish Curaçao, an education and awareness portal for Curaçao.
Recognizing that the Curaçao scuba diving industry is a “best kept secret” and has much to offer, Horne founded Dive Curaçao to be the dedicated marketing agency for the Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association’s (CHATA) Dive Task Force which is a group of sixteen Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) certified diving companies that are supported by the Curaçao Tourist Board.
“This public and private sector synergy is producing results – bringing and implementing improvements such as effectively placed mooring buoys, increased focus and support for coral restoration, and underwater clean-ups… together, we are making a difference for Curaçao in an environmentally sustainable manner and to put Curaçao in the spotlight like it has never been done before”
Bryan Horne, Dive Curaçao
Dive Curaçao is responsible for all online, offline and international marketing programs that promote Curaçao locally and internationally as a world-class diving and vacation destination.
In addition to marketing, Dive Curaçao also works in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism to achieve higher international standards for the Curaçao Scuba Diving Industry that include mandates for safety, quality and sustainability.
Additionally, this strategy stresses several key components for Curaçao to clearly distinguish our destination from other Caribbean and worldwide destinations, to focus on history, culture, language, food and music, but especially to promote the fact that we as a community are active with initiatives for marine conservation and sustainable tourism.
Curaçao 2019 Dive Festival focuses on Sustainable Dive Tourism
Sustainability and ocean conservation ran like a thread through the Curaçao Dive Festival which offered a wide range of activities for both local and international divers. The diversity of this week-long festival also offered the general public an insight to the captivating underwater world that Curaçao is privileged to enjoy.
Besides daily boat and shore diving, activities included coral restoration and equipment workshops, PADI – Project AWARE Dive Against Debris clean-ups, underwater art exhibitions, demonstrations of full-face masks, freediving and technical diving all coupled by regular evening events, which led to social cohesion and a lot of interest.
Lionfish in Curaçao is a Sustainable Industry
Tuesday, the day was marked by awareness and skills related to the capture of lionfish. The result of the “lionfish hunt” was a social in the courtyard of the Carmabi Foundation. With Lionfish seminars by experts and the Academy Hotel students that prepared a tasty and healthy meal that included using sustainable materials and ingredients. Additionally, this night featured jewelery from Lionfish Caribbean which were made from the spines and fins of the lionfish.
Lisette Kreus, is the “Lionfish Lady” and the driving force behind Lionfish Caribbean. She has created a wide variety of products from this invasive specie that includes handmade jewelry. Additionally, she conducts many seminars to help spread the awareness about the value of eating these tasty fish that are rich in Omega-3. With her help, many restaurants in Curaçao are now serving lionfish.
“We will never eradicate them, but the application of catching and processing the Lionfish has become a sustainable industry”
Lisette Kreus, Lionfish Caribbean
Sustainable Marketplace Event at Jan Thiel Beach
On Wednesday, an instructive and informative Sustainable Marketplace event took place beside Dive Center Scuba Do at Jan Thiel Beach. This marketplace created a local and international platform for various organizations, businesses, foundations, and working groups on Curaçao that focus on conservation and sustainable solutions in their daily activities.
Opening the night, PADI AWARE recognized Curaçao for leading the way on global shark conservation and co-sponsoring a proposal to better enforce an Atlantic wide shark-finning ban. Accepting this recognition on behalf of the Curaçao Government was Mr. Alvin Daal – the Chief of Staff for Minister Suzy Camila-Romer from the Ministry of Health, Nature and Environment.
Other notables were present as well such as Blue Halo Curaçao – a Waitt Institute initiative of US billionaire philanthropist Ted Waitt. Blue Halo Curaçao which in many areas, including financial and legal, support to governments worldwide. The Curaçao government welcomed Blue Halo in 2015, which stands for a sustainable ocean policy, the development of a marine spatial plan and the implementation of them through a process-based involvement in scientific, social and economic data.
Punda Dive Vibes in the Heart of Willemstad
Thursday was ‘Punda Dive Vibes’ at Queen Wilhelmina Square in downtown Willemstad.
Eight Curaçao Dive operators for the first time ever came together under the stars to share their passion of scuba diving with locals and tourists alike. They were joined by two large catamarans from Bluefinn Charters and Blue C Watersports that provided an opportunity for a unique harbor tour.
Curaçao 2019 Dive Festival Closing Night Event at Cas Abao Beach
On Friday, the evening ended with the ‘Ultimate Beach Party ” at Cas Abao Beach, courtesy of B Diving and Watersports, which brought an official close to this year’s Curacao International Dive Festival even though activities continued into Saturday with another Dive Against Debris dive, Technical diving and of course, a night dive!
