From a bay of plastic to a bay of wildlife

Two pelicans landing on a tire

Although Boka (inlet or bay) Ascension is still not a pristine place, it is a place where sea turtles can graze again, pelicans and fish eagles can fish again.
When the people of Curacao dumped their waste in sea, all the plastic drifted in this bay and the bay got the nickname ‘Plastic bay’. Still there is a lot of waste drifting in from the Caribbean Sea, but volunteers clean up the bay regularly.

Against the wind

Flag of Curacao at Landhuis Ascension

The flags of Landhuis (Country House) Anscension fly against the North-eastern trade winds. A former foreman, shon Martin, with a very bad reputation is buried just outside the plantation with his head facing the house by the people he oppressed. It is said that he blows the flags in the wrong direction.

The odd one out

Palapa on Playa Kanoa

On Curaçao all the beaches are on the South side of the island, except one: Playa Kanoa. Its beach is secluded by a natural barrier. Surfers rides the big waves on the other side of these rocks.

Graceful in pink

Flamingo with a blue sea

Flamingos get their pink colour from the crustations they feed on. They are seen on all islands, Venezuala and around the rest of the Caribbean. Flamingos are good flyers and travel often between the islands.

Take a rest

Taking a nap on a boat

A Venezuelan sailor gets some nap time on one of the little boats that sail between Curaçao and Venezuela with fruit, vegetables and other goods. These are sold in market stalls on the dockside.

Docked along many colors

Tall ship and Handelskade

The Mexican Navy training vessel ARM Cuauhtémoc docked in the harbour of Willemstad.
Colorful flags fly along the bright colored houses of the Handelskade of Punda.

Bright red on a green floor

Little purple flowers in the red heart of a Bromelia

Tiny purple flowers are sitting in the bright red center of this Bromeliad. In Christoffel Park you will find patches of these beautiful plants underneath the trees.

‘Suitcase fish’

Trunk fish

One night we were sitting at a bar of a beach club with a international group of friends. One of them was talking about a dive she took that day and how she could approach a Trunk fish real close.
She couldn’t come up with the English name of the fish. In dutch it is called a koffervis (koffer can be translated to suitcase), so she came up with the translation ‘Suitcase fish’…

Bend with the wind

Grass seeds

Seeds of a species of grass waving in the trade winds.

To open sea

Tug boat passing the Queen Emma bridge.

A tug boat passes the Queen Emma bridge, a pontoon bridge that connects Punda and Otrobanda. It is build on 16 floating pontoons and swings open to let ships pass.
The picture was taken from the Queen Juliana bridge, which reaches up to 56.4 m (185 feet) above the water to accommodate ships going in and out the Schottegat lagoon.