Named for the rare and nearly extinct black corals, Black Coral Garden, Curacao is on the west end of the island, and features black-coral trees, sea fans and bottlebrush. The skeletons of black corals are dark; hence the description as ‘black,’ but the polyps have varying colors — red, white, orange, green and yellow. Since they lack symbiotic algae, black corals can be found thousands of feet deep.
This dive is generally done parallel with the wall, as an out-and-back to the boat. It’s an easy dive site, with little to no current to speak of when we dove it. As with most wall dives, it’s easy to slip down too deep while admiring all of the beautiful and rare corals and other marine life. We always want to be careful around corals to avoid damaging them, but take extra caution in this spot in particular, as black corals take over a century to re-establish. Admire these rare beauties and keep a close watch on your buoyancy.
