Sweet Bottom near Jan Thiel Beach
Sweet Bottom, is a rarely visited dive site located between Sandys Plateau and Jan Thiel. This dive site is home to out-planted corals from Reef Renewal Curaçao.
The vision of Reef Renewal Curacao (RRC) is to help create a future where the shallow water reef systems of Curaçao are no longer threatened and, ocean stewardship and protecting our coral reefs is at the heart of Curaçao’s culture.
Adopt a Coral at Sweet Bottom Dive Site
Reef Renewal Curaçao is a non-profit organization that relies on the generous support of individual donors and sponsors. By adopting a coral at Sweet Bottom you are directly contributing to our restoration work and helping us restore the reefs in Curaçao. With this adoption program, you can see directly the impact your donation has and the benefits of supporting a coral restoration program. Click here to learn more.
Dive Site Recommendations
- Dive Type: Boat
- Snorkel Site: No
- Experience Level: Open Water (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 Ocean Encounters for additional details & recommendations.
Location of Sweet Bottom
Reef Renewal Curaçao at Sweet Bottom
The coral restoration work by Reef Renewal Curaçao starts at the coral nurseries by hanging fragments of Staghorn and Elkhorn corals on coral trees, then letting them grow.
- Growing corals in this way is much faster than in the wild. The corals are suspended in the middle of the water column with a constant stream of nutrients passing by and closer to the sunlight. Both of these factors means the corals are in optimum conditions to grow.
- A collection of these coral trees (any from 4 – 10) make up what we call a coral nursery. We have 8 nurseries around the island of Curacao, made up of a total of 55 trees.
The out-plants can be seen all over the island. Contact Reef Renewal Curaçao for more information about the ongoing projects at LionsDive Beach Resort, Pierbaai, Director’s Bay, Kontiki Beach Resort, Baoase Luxury Resort and the Avila Beach Hotel.
Protecting the Coral Reefs in Curaçao
All aspects of our island depend on coral reefs, from coastal protection and food on our table to revenue from tourism. The existence of coral reefs is intertwined into much of the infrastructure and revenue on the island. However, these coral reefs are threatened by human impacts and reef restoration is only part of the solution.
For us to effectively build back and restore the shallow water reef systems of Curaçao, we need the support of a variety of stakeholders and government officials.
We need to take the importance of coral reefs out of the water and make it something that is valued by the whole community of Curaçao. Dive for a Purpose with Reef Renewal Curacao!
