posted by Serge Abourjeily on 05/31/2008

CDF’2008: A Ray-mazing dive at Animal Encouters

Diving like in a supermarket – this is how you could discribe the fish pool at Animal Encounters in the Sea Aquarium Curacao. In the little bay you can find stingrays, tarpons, goliath grouper and many more. The animals have ample space and are very friendly. Read on for pictures and review ...

A pool full of action

We already were at Animal Encounters for our Sea Lion Dive. Now we returned for another dive in their enclosed "Critter Pool". This pool is about 20 to 15 meters big and has some interesting content: a big goliath grouper, numerous stingrays, tarpons, porcupines and many schooling fish. All the animals are born in captivity and none of them were taken out of the wild. For animals in captivity, their live is actually quite good – they have ample space and a team, that cares a lot for them.

We went in together with the dive instructor Naomi – she took a little box of bait with her. Already when we entered, it was quite obvious, that all animals knew already, what's gonna happen. Naomi almost instantly dissappeared under 6 Stingrays – only when they started being less hungry, we could start taking pictures. They all still have their sting, but one of them ever uses it – rather they give a little bite, when they think your finger is a fish, but nothing serious. They are really very friendly ...

Under water the usual photo problems were upside down: instead of trying to get big fish in the viewfinder, it was rather the problem to isolate some of them in a frame. It was a absolutely crazy experience, that we highly reccomend. Thank you to the whole team at Ocean Encounters!

Photo Gallery: Animal Encounters

A very friendly (and large) pufferfish

Inquisitive Stingray at Curacao

$Naomi at Animal Encounters, Curacao will really\ndo anything to help you getting a good picture!$
Naomi at Animal Encounters, Curacao will really
do anything to help you getting a good picture!

$Hermie the Giant Grouper is also living at\nAnimal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium$
Hermie the Giant Grouper is also living at
Animal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium

Naomi posing with a stingray

The stingrays really stub Naomi for food

There is more than one puffer!

Naomi and her friends at the Curacao Aquarium

$Dive Instructor Naomi at Animal Encounters,\nCuracao Sea Aquarium sorrounded by stingrays$
Dive Instructor Naomi at Animal Encounters,
Curacao Sea Aquarium sorrounded by stingrays

$If you have not met carribean tarpons yet, you can surely \nsee them in the confined waters of Curacao Sea Aquarium$
If you have not met carribean tarpons yet, you can surely
see them in the confined waters of Curacao Sea Aquarium

Wendy Heller from DivePhotoGuide.com feeding a nurse shark at Animal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium

$Serge Abourjeily with Hugyfot Canon EOS 40D housing and \nschooling fish at at Animal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium$
Serge Abourjeily with Hugyfot Canon EOS 40D housing and
schooling fish at at Animal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium

$Wendy Heller from DivePhotoGuide.com is about to kiss a \nsmiling turtle at Animal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium$
Wendy Heller from DivePhotoGuide.com is about to kiss a
smiling turtle at Animal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium

Naomi, Stingray and food in her hand

$Wendy Heller from DivePhotoGuide.com at \nAnimal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium$
Wendy Heller from DivePhotoGuide.com at
Animal Encounters, Curacao Sea Aquarium

$The Pufferfishes at Animal Encounters, Curacao\nalways try to play the main role in your pictures$
The Pufferfishes at Animal Encounters, Curacao
always try to play the main role in your pictures

Stingray and pilotfish in Black & White

$Animal trainer and instrutor Naomi laughs\nwhile getting humped by a Stingray$
Animal trainer and instrutor Naomi laughs
while getting humped by a Stingray