Wildlife in beautiful Curacao
Flamingos in the salt pans of Jan Thiel
Number 1 of the places to spot a flamingo during your vacation on Curaçao is at Jan Thiel! The nature reserve of Jan Thiel used to be a salt plantation. On this salt plantation you will find a beautiful country house. This country house has just been restored. Definitely worth a visit!
You can take a very nice walk from Jan Thiel Bay to Mambo Beach. You then walk around the salt lake. During your walk you will encounter many screeching parakeets and cacti. You will also arrive at a beautiful beach, where you can relax.
Flamingo facts
Flamingos eat algae and small crustaceans.
Flamingos are pink because of bacteria and beta-carotene they get from their food.
Some greater flamingos have a color that is almost red. They are up to 175 cm tall!
Young flamingos can be recognized by their grey-pink plumes of down.
Turtles
Curaçao is a paradise for snorkeling & diving enthusiasts. One of the most beautiful experiences you can have here is swimming with wild sea turtles. Are you such a snorkel or dive fan? Then pay attention: this is an overview of the best places on Curaçao to spot sea turtles!
Playa Grande
At the very tip of Westpunt you will find Playa Grandi. This beach is also known as Playa Piskado, the fishing beach. It may not be the most beautiful or most comfortable beach to lie on, but the underwater world makes up for it. Local fishermen bring in their freshly caught fish via the pier and clean it immediately. The parts of the fish that they cannot use are thrown back into the sea. You guessed it: sea turtles love the free snack and therefore usually swim around the pier! Put on your goggles and enjoy the spectacle.
Playa Laguna
Compared to Playa Grandi, this beach wins out for its beachy vibes. Playa Lagun is a little gem hidden between two sides of rocky cliffs. So it is actually a mini bay. While snorkeling you will see many different types of fish combined with healthy coral cover and large sponges. This makes it the perfect place to spot sea turtles! You have the best chance of seeing them here between 4 and 6 pm – that’s when they swim into the bay to collect some food.