Did you know that 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based sources?  If you’re ready for your beach getaway, here are 5 ways you can be kinder to the ocean.

Be conscious of the trash you are using and make sure to clean up after yourself. If you have a reusable water bottle, make sure to bring it! Curaçao’s tap water is safe to drink, it’ll save you a couple of bucks not having to stock up on bottles. Have an empty bottle? Check if there are any areas where you can recycle. If you’re visiting us, we have recycle trash bins right outside our shop.

Beach friendly gadgets you should know about: paper or bamboo straws, reusable water bottles, eco lunchboxes or snack containers, recycled beach bags.

Curaçao has been one of the islands affected by the lionfish invasion. Studies have shown that lionfish can reduce native fish by 65%. It’s not shocking as these creatures can lay up to 30,000 eggs every few weeks and live up to 30 years. They also prey on the grazers and cleaners that ensure the health of corals!

If you see it on the menu try it out! Planning to dive and want to go hunting? We offer a weekly Lionfish Scuba Experience where we cull lionfish to help control its invasion. Get ready for some fresh sashimi at the end of your trip!

Protect the underwater life! Please do not feed, touch, chase, or ride anything underwater. Animals can feel threatened and stressed due to your actions. Your actions can also interrupt feeding or mating. This can all result in aggressive behavior.

Did you know that recent studies have found that there are chemicals in many popular sunscreen brands that harm our corals?

Look for sunscreen that don’t contain biologically toxic chemicals such as Stream2Sea, Amavara, and All Good. Our beach shop only sells Stream2Sea products in our efforts to protect our ocean.

Support our leaders in sustainability. There are different entities working towards increasing awareness on sustainability and protecting the island’s marine life. Usually these tend to be non-profit organizations dependent on donations to keep moving forward.

Some of the entities we support are Coral Restoration Foundation Curaçao, Sea Turtle Conservation Curaçao and Limpi Curaçao. We have a variety of items for sale that contribute financially to these organizations. Check out our conservation corner!

These are just 5 simple steps you can take on your next vacation. But ultimately educating is one of the key elements! At Ocean Encounters we try our utmost best to be an example and commit to various practices promoting sustainable tourism.

Join our movement #OEPledge!