Long Beach - Curaçao Southeast
Outer Photographers Reef feels like a well-kept secret, though we wish more divers knew about it. Dropping down, you’re often greeted by a soft current, pushing you gently over granite outcrops dusted with brilliant feather stars and those surprisingly handsome grey sea cucumbers. We’ve spotted California yellowtail darting through the water column here, and on a good day, the visibility opens up enough to hint at the sheer scale of the reef, even if the average is a modest 6m. Our favourite time to dive Outer Photographers is in late summer when the water has warmed a little and conditions are typically calmer. Keep an eye out for the big pelagics – tuna are not uncommon, and we’ve even had fleeting glimpses of larger sharks cruising through. It’s a site for divers who appreciate the subtle beauty of a temperate reef and don’t mind a bit of a treasure hunt for those less common sightings.
- Location
- Curaçao Southeast, Curaçao, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 12.124900, -68.973600
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Spanish Water Inner Bay Park
Best Time to Dive in Curaçao Southeast
The warmest water temperatures in Curaçao Southeast occur in October, averaging 29.7°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 26.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.0°C
- February: 26.6°C
- March: 26.8°C
- April: 27.0°C
- May: 27.6°C
- June: 28.0°C
- July: 28.2°C
- August: 29.0°C
- September: 29.5°C
- October: 29.7°C
- November: 29.0°C
- December: 28.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Curaçao Southeast
- Airplane Wreck (Santa Martha) (cave)
- Airplane Wreck (Santa Martha) (wreck)
- Airplane Wreck (Sunset Waters) (wreck)
- Alice in Wonderland (reef)
- Alice in Wonderland (reef)
- Barbara Beach (reef)
- Barbara Beach (wreck)
- Barracuda Point (reef)
- Barracuda Point (reef)
- Beacon Point (wall)
- Beacon Point - 15-40m (reef)
- Blue Bay Garden (reef)
- Blue Bay Garden (reef)
- Blue Bay the Wall (reef)
- Blue Bay the Wall (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Long Beach
- All About Scuba Curacao - SSI
- Atlantis Diving
- Blue Bay Dive and Watersports - PADI
- BLVD Divers - PADI
- Central Dive Curacao - SSI
- Coral Divers Curacao - PADI
Marine Life in Curaçao Southeast
Home to 322 recorded species including 259 reef fish, 24 hard corals, 7 other, 6 crabs & lobsters, 5 seagrass & algae, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Boulder Brain Coral (Colpophyllia natans) - Hard Corals
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Blushing Star Coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta) - Hard Corals
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Smooth Flower Coral (Eusmilia fastigiata) - Hard Corals
- Maze Coral (Meandrina meandrites) - Hard Corals
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Bastard soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Lamarck's sheet coral (Agaricia lamarcki) - Hard Corals
- Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) - Seagrass & Algae
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Spinythroat Scorpionfish (Pontinus nematophthalmus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Long Beach
Based on average water temperature of 28.0°C, currents 22 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories