Playa Grandi / Playa Piscado - Curaçao Southeast
Shark Bay might sound toothy, but it’s actually named for the Banjo Sharks, a type of guitarfish, that like to cruise the shallows here. We often duck into this spot when the ocean swell is up, making exposed sites a no-go. It’s a proper bay, sheltered and calm, with a gentle slope down to about 13 metres at its deepest. You'll spend most of your time at 4-8 metres, drifting over seagrass meadows and sandy patches. What we really love about Shark Bay is the macro life and the sense of discovery. You’ll spot Crested Weedfish swaying in the seagrass, plenty of Snakehead Cowries clinging to rocks, and if you’re patient, the odd Australian Spiny Pipehorse camouflaged among the blades. Keep an eye out for the Grey Plover poking around the sand, too. Visibility averages around 9 metres, which is decent for a shallow, sandy-bottomed bay, especially on an incoming tide. This is a perfect dive for photographers looking for interesting critters or anyone who enjoys a relaxed, unhurried poke around the shallows.
- Location
- Curaçao Southeast, Curaçao, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 12.369300, -69.154400
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Shete Boka 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 Playa Grandi / Playa Piscado
- 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 Playa Grandi / Playa Piscado
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