Curacao vs Bonaire - Best place to snorkel/dive with sea turtles

[dacf]

Hello, we would like to snorkel or do a discovery dive with sea turtles but we only want to do it once in one of the ports to give us time to see and do other stuff in the other port. 

 

In Curacao, we read if we snorkel or do a dive at Playa Piskado, we'll see lots of them there.   However in Bonaire, if you go with Woodwind, we should see lots of turtles.   We do have a booking with them but we able to cancel if our plans change.   

 

So my question is: between the two places, Playa Piskado in Curacao or going with Woodwind in Bonaire, which of the two would give us a better chance of seeing and swimming with sea turtles?  Do they both have equal amounts or does one island have more than the other? 

 

Thanks for your help!  

Edited February 5 by dacf

[topspot]

  We have done both.  At Playa Piskado, the fishermen clean their fish, and the turtles are there for the easy food.  The water is full of fish guts and people.  You are (almost) guaranteed to see turtles because they are being fed.  We have gone out with Woodwind at least 8 times.  We have seen turtles about six of those times.  If you see turtles, it is because they are feeding naturally, not because they are being fed by humans.  There is no guarantee to see turtles, but you will have a great time snorkeling.  You will see corals and various fish.  We have also been to 1000 steps on our own (a dive/snorkel site in Bonaire)  there are often turtles here.

[lynncarol]

Having snorkeled at many of the islands, surprisingly the place we saw the most turtles (and they were the really big kind) was at Honeymoon Beach on Water Island off St. Thomas.  In Bonaire, we only saw one small one. 

[dacf]

Thanks for your help 

[jean87510]

On 2/5/2024 at 2:06 PM, dacf said:

Hello, we would like to snorkel or do a discovery dive with sea turtles but we only want to do it once in one of the ports to give us time to see and do other stuff in the other port. 

 

In Curacao, we read if we snorkel or do a dive at Playa Piskado, we'll see lots of them there.   However in Bonaire, if you go with Woodwind, we should see lots of turtles.   We do have a booking with them but we able to cancel if our plans change.   

 

So my question is: between the two places, Playa Piskado in Curacao or going with Woodwind in Bonaire, which of the two would give us a better chance of seeing and swimming with sea turtles?  Do they both have equal amounts or does one island have more than the other? 

 

Thanks for your help!  

I know it's a couple of weeks but definitely Playa Piscado.

 

We rented a car in Curacao and drove ourselves.  We have our own snorkeling gear so we had total freedom of doing it ourselves as opposed to the literal herds of cruise ship people.  I strongly suggest renting a car here.  

 

If you enjoy snorkeling, I also recommend skipping Woodwind and taking a much cheaper alternative to Klein Bonaire and do the drift snorkeling.  You will see turtles but not like Curacao.  

 

If you REALLY want great snorkeling spots from shore in Curacao, I have a few more gems.  You do not need excursions.  Just a rental car.  Same with Bonaire.  The best snorkeling is the drift snorkeling at Klein Bonaire.  No overpriced excursion needed.

[NateUpNorth]

Adding to the "Playa Piscado" vote.
Turtles everywhere.
We've also done Bonaire..... favorite snorkel spot ever.... however did not see a single turtle. 

[Cruising Cindy Lou]

On 2/26/2024 at 7:08 PM, jean87510 said:

I know it's a couple of weeks but definitely Playa Piscado.

 

We rented a car in Curacao and drove ourselves.  We have our own snorkeling gear so we had total freedom of doing it ourselves as opposed to the literal herds of cruise ship people.  I strongly suggest renting a car here.  

 

If you enjoy snorkeling, I also recommend skipping Woodwind and taking a much cheaper alternative to Klein Bonaire and do the drift snorkeling.  You will see turtles but not like Curacao.  

 

If you REALLY want great snorkeling spots from shore in Curacao, I have a few more gems.  You do not need excursions.  Just a rental car.  Same with Bonaire.  The best snorkeling is the drift snorkeling at Klein Bonaire.  No overpriced excursion needed.

So give your secrets away, what are the best spots to snorkel in Curacao? And in Bonaire?

[jean87510]

21 hours ago, Cruising Cindy Lou said:

So give your secrets away, what are the best spots to snorkel in Curacao? And in Bonaire?

Curacao definitely Tugboat beach.  Playa Piskado for turtles.  There is another area called Directors Bay.  You snorkel out then to the right around rocks.  Best snorkeling.  You have to have a rental car or this won't work as no cab or bus will go there.

 

Klein Bonaire hands down is the best.  For turtles, the salt flats.  You can't do both though.  If you do Klein, just get water taxi.  Invest in a portable tent as we did or bring an Umbrella for shade as there is none.  If you want to do the turtles, they are on Klein Bonaire BUT definitely at salt flats.  I prefer a car on this island as I like air conditioning and speed to get to more places quicker.  

[Cruising Cindy Lou]

1 hour ago, jean87510 said:

Curacao definitely Tugboat beach.  Playa Piskado for turtles.  There is another area called Directors Bay.  You snorkel out then to the right around rocks.  Best snorkeling.  You have to have a rental car or this won't work as no cab or bus will go there.

 

Klein Bonaire hands down is the best.  For turtles, the salt flats.  You can't do both though.  If you do Klein, just get water taxi.  Invest in a portable tent as we did or bring an Umbrella for shade as there is none.  If you want to do the turtles, they are on Klein Bonaire BUT definitely at salt flats.  I prefer a car on this island as I like air conditioning and speed to get to more places quicker.  

Thank you so much for the info.  

We rented a car in 2017 in Curacao and snorkeled at Playa Kalki and Playa Piskado.  The turtles at Playa Piskado were amazing.  We were there in April of 2017, we had Piskado to ourselves. 

In 2017 we rented a car in Bonaire as well, but my husband did shore diving so I only go to snorkel at Hilma Hook sight.  The place we rented from no longer rents to cruisers, so we are getting a Golf Cart this time. I will add these sights to my list of must do's.

We will have to go back again and take the ferry over to Klein.  So much to do, and so little time, haha. 

[jean87510]

19 minutes ago, Cruising Cindy Lou said:

Thank you so much for the info.  

We rented a car in 2017 in Curacao and snorkeled at Playa Kalki and Playa Piskado.  The turtles at Playa Piskado were amazing.  We were there in April of 2017, we had Piskado to ourselves. 

In 2017 we rented a car in Bonaire as well, but my husband did shore diving so I only go to snorkel at Hilma Hook sight.  The place we rented from no longer rents to cruisers, so we are getting a Golf Cart this time. I will add these sights to my list of must do's.

We will have to go back again and take the ferry over to Klein.  So much to do, and so little time, haha. 

Klein Bonaire is definitely a tent place.  We got this one off of Amazon.  We set it up in Klein Bonaire and were there all day.  Brought a cooler with our protein bars and a couple of sodas plus water bottles for the day.

[jean87510]

It weighs 3 lbs