{"id":4364,"date":"2023-07-21T08:00:44","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T06:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relaxedcuracao.com\/?p=4364"},"modified":"2025-02-04T14:44:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T13:44:50","slug":"playa-grandi-piskado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relaxedcuracao.com\/en\/beaches\/playa-grandi-piskado\/","title":{"rendered":"Turtles at Playa Grandi"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/span><\/div>

I<\/span>t\u2019s definitely worth checking out the west corner of Curacao because it\u2019s where you can see some turtles for sure. You don\u2019t have to go to a Seaquarium to see a turtle. You can admire them in their natural habitat, the ocean, at Playa Grandi in the fishing village Westpunt.<\/p>\n

Go West<\/h3>\n

The turtle beach is easy to find: After driving into the village for a bit you will see the start of a long bay, on the left-hand side. Locals call this bay Westpoint Beach. The Bay starts with Playa Forti, which you will pass. You follow the road to the yellow-colored All West Apartments. Right behind those there is a big parking lot, where you can park your car. On the other side of the road there is the \u2018Misa di San Pedro\u2019, the Saint Peter\u2019s church. If you are interested in that: we\u2019ve put some pictures of the church in the photo gallery for you. From the parking lot you have a great view over the ocean, and you can take the stairs down to Playa Grandi.<\/p>\n

\"Staircase

Staircase and view from the parking lot to Playa Grandi alias Playa Piskad\u00f3 – the turtles are already waiting<\/p><\/div>\n

Eight-armed signpost<\/h3>\n

As an alternative you can also drive past the big parking lot and then take a sharp left turn as soon as you see the octopus-tree in the downhill s-bend that follows. You really can\u2019t miss this tree, since it\u2019s painted red. The lower part of the stem has the eyes of an octopus, and the roots are supposed to be the tentacles with its suction cups. The octopus-tree<\/a> is a great landmark, so you won\u2019t miss the access road. This way you will reach the smaller parking lot besides the beach.<\/p>\n

\"The

The octopus tree on the side of the road in Westpunt, landmark and signpost to the turtle beach Playa Piskad\u00f3<\/p><\/div>\n

Not only one, but plenty<\/h3>\n

You will probably see a turtle when you visit the 35 or more beaches<\/a> on curacao, but Playa Grandi tops everything. The beautiful animals splash about in the waters of Playa Grandi in all colors and sizes. You will never cease to be amazed. At least that\u2019s how we felt and probably every other beach visitor there.
\nTurtles are known to be quite shy towards humans. Especially when we appear en masse. At Playa Grandi the turtles don\u2019t mind us humans. Why is that?<\/p>\n

The second name explains the turtle guarantee<\/h3>\n

The beach is also called Playa Piskad\u00f3. Piskad\u00f3 means fisherman in the local language Papiamentu<\/a>. Playa Piskad\u00f3 is thus the fisherman(\u2019s) beach. You can already tell by the many fishing boats in the water that are at anchor or are tied to buoys. The fishermen go out to sea at the crack of dawn (around 6 a.m.) to fish. Friends of ours come to Curacao every year for a fishing vacation and join one of the fishermen at Playa Grandi to start off their day. They usually return from fishing between 9 and 10 a.m., just when we are sipping our first coffee on the terrace. Thanks to their passion for fishing, we were lucky enough to enjoy freshly caught, grilled fish in the White House in Lagun, the neighboring village before Westpunt. Indulging in delicious memories, I\u2019d like to get to the point and explain how the fishermen and the turtles are connected.<\/p>\n

\"View

View from above of Playa Piskado in Westpunt with jetty and fishing boats in the water<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s \u201cEnjoy your meal\u201d several times a day<\/h3>\n

Every time the fishermen return to the beach in their boats, they throw the parts of their catch they don\u2019t need into the water. The turtles that wait at the dock for the fish remains know about this too. To them it\u2019s feeding time, which is why they linger longer in the shallow water near to the shore. The morning and late afternoons are usually good for this.<\/p>\n

As you can imagine, not only do the turtles know about this but so do the beach goers. That\u2019s why there are rush hours in the water here. It really is an amazing experience to be near to so many turtles \u2013 be it swimming, snorkeling or diving. Sometimes diving boats also like to make a detour to Playa Piskad\u00f3. If you didn\u2019t see a turtle swimming by you on one of your dives, you will see one here for sure. The advantage: You\u2019ll have a better view from below and a good position for great close-up recordings or photos.<\/p>\n

\"Two

Two turtles swimming sideways underwater<\/p><\/div>\n

Just go for the fun<\/h3>\n

Getting into the water is equally easy for everyone: via the beach, the dock or via the paved entry ramp for boats. The latter can be a bit slippery, due to algae growth. Everybody can fulfill the dream of swimming with turtles. The light-colored sand in the shallow water is a great background for high contrast patterned animals. Everyone has the opportunity to take their souvenir photo or video, either underwater or from the dock. It\u2019 so cute, when the turtle comes to the surface and sticks it heads out of the water to take a deep breath.<\/p>\n

\"A

A sea turtle stretches its head out of the water to get some air<\/p><\/div>\n

A guest in the turtle\u2019s dining room<\/h3>\n

With all this fascination: Please don\u2019t touch one of the trusting looking turtles. They are wild animals with pointed beaks. The turtle\u2019s solid-looking shells are actually extremely sensitive to touch. Touching them means a lot of stress for the animals. Imagine being touched while eating or being followed or being afraid that someone would take your food, when you go to get something to eat from a buffet.<\/p>\n

Please also make sure you don\u2019t block the animal\u2019s way up to the surface. Turtles need air to breathe, just like you, because they don\u2019t have gills. Watch these reptiles up close and enjoy their breathtaking yet calming presence.<\/p>\n

Have an unforgettable moment just not unforgettable for the turtles<\/h3>\n

The turtle\u2019s habitat is hurt and endangered by us humans enough as it is. Our plastic waste is fatal to them and the animals die miserably when they swallow plastic because they mistake it for food (jellyfish). Their gullet is shaped in such a way that it has many cartilaginoid teeth on the inside that protrude downwards towards the stomach like hooks. Swallowed pieces of plastic get stuck there and prevent further food intake. Once turtles have swallowed an item, they are unable to regurgitate it. Their fate is thus sealed.<\/p>\n

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A turtle chills underwater with its fins hanging<\/p><\/div>\n

Another danger for the turtles is to end up in a net as bycatches, unable to free themselves on their own and then suffocating. However, we are by no means accusing the fishermen of Playa Piskad\u00f3 but rather denounce large-scale trawling.<\/p>\n

Support for the turtles<\/h3>\n

The Sea Turtle Conservation Curacao<\/a> (STCC), which we support wholeheartedly of our hearts, gives everything to protect and preserve the species of turtles on Curacao. On some beaches you can find marked areas, that signal where turtle eggs are being hatched. STCC checks those areas regularly, takes care of registering turtles, does research and provides information. Sabine Berendes, founder of the STCC, and her team do everything for the benefit of those animals, worthy of protection.<\/p>\n

\"Closed

Closed off area on the beach marking a breeding ground for turtle eggs in the sand<\/p><\/div>\n

You can contribute to the conservation of the turtles best by not entering the hatching areas and taking your waste with you, instead of leaving it on the beach. Try to reduce your plastic consumption and make sure that no waste ends up in the ocean. You can find out more about the STCC and much more information about turtle conservation at the visitor center in the Sambil shopping mall. Why not combine your next shopping trip with a visit to the exhibition where you can learn so much about those animals.<\/p>\n

Keep distance and enjoy<\/h3>\n

Our advice, to prevent the harassment of turtles and collisions with other snorkelers and divers: stay a little further out in the deeper water under the fishing boats. Here you don\u2019t need to get angry at others who don\u2019t know what they are doing when they chase and threaten the turtles out of selfishness. You know better now, and you can just accompany the turtles swimming in and out of the bay for a while. With a bit of luck, you might even see a big porcupine fish swimming in the open water. Porcupine fish are usually quite shy, too, and tend to hide at the reef and in rocky niches.<\/p>\n

Manta Mantra<\/h3>\n

There is a nice story about Playa Grandi and the boats there that happened years ago. Manta rays are spotted from the All West Apartments from time to time. When these animals come into the bay, everything is turned\/ turns upside down. The story that happened there one evening could be described as a sailor\u2019s yarn if it hadn\u2019t actually happened. Bryan Horne received a phone call that said: \u201cWe have a fisherman\u2019s boat that is being stolen by a manta ray\u201d. Bryan told us the whole story in an interview.<\/p>\n

Turtle watching for free<\/h3>\n

Swimming with the turtles is for free – the beach is public and open around the clock for free. Other beaches open at a specific time, like the private beach Cas Abao or the kiosk with rentable sun loungers at Daaibooibaai<\/a>. The security at Kenepa Chiki<\/a> only covers a certain period of time during the day. All of this is not the case at Playa Grandi.<\/p>\n

Fishing for money<\/h3>\n

Even though there is no fee for watching the turtles, there is someone who likes to make a bit of money. It\u2019s been some time since we last snorkeled there but there was a man on the dock, who continuously shouts \u201cI feed the turtles\u201d to the visitors \u2013 mainly tourists \u2013 and holds out his open hand. Of course you don\u2019t have to give him any money, the turtles are there either way. He will be happy if you are able to spare some money, though. It\u2019s your decision.<\/p>\n

A drop of bitterness without remorse<\/h3>\n

As mentioned before, there are fish remains swimming in the water alongside the turtles and other fish. However, the water is still clear and your view on by no means obstructed. We felt like we\u2019d smell a little bit more after our snorkeling experience than we did the other times we swam in saltwater. That\u2019s not a problem, though, because luckily there are showers. At Playa Grandi you can find one behind the cabins out of brick leading to the stairs and the parking lot, if I remember correctly. Even if I\u2019m wrong, you can just wash it off later in your vacation resort. You\u2019ll probably take a shower after a beach day anyways \u2013 if only because of the sand, salt and sunscreen.<\/p>\n

We firmly believe that bit of \u201cmusty\u201d smell is out of proportion to what you can experience there. A trip to the Turtle Beach, as the beach is also called, should definitely be on your to-do list for your vacation on Curacao. You won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n

\"A

A turtle looks underwater as if it is waving \ud83d\ude09<\/p><\/div>\n

Meeting a deity while diving at Playa Grandi<\/h3>\n

If you dive at Playa Grandi, be sure to visit the God of the Sea behind the boats at the edge of the reef. The statue of Neptune is a great underwater scene. The figure, that is covered with corals as well as the reef around it made the beach a popular diving spot. There might be a few diver\u2019s pickups parked at the parking lots, because Neptune, turtles and the nearby diving spot Alice in Wonderland<\/a> invite to go offshore diving.<\/p>\n

See more on our partner Bryan\u2019s website<\/a> or watch a diving video of Playa Piskad\u00f3:<\/p>\n<\/div>