Pride Journeys Ecotourism: Curaçao

From Curaçao's Aloe Plantation estimated to have 100,000 aloe vera plants, to jeep safari tours with national park rangers on the rugged northern coast, Curaçao continues to find innovative ways to reduce its carbon footprint and educate travelers about the island’s sustainable efforts. But as blue has always been Curaçao’s color of choice, the nation’s well-established dive industry is driving the eco-friendly bus. The dive sector teamed up with PADI on its Project AWARE marine initiatives, adopt-a-dive-site programs, beach cleanups and traveler education programs.

To protect Curaçao's oceans and keep the reefs healthy, the Coral Restoration Curaçao created a "Coral Tree Nursery” in conjunction with dive operator Ocean Encounters. The Nursery - just a quick swim from shore - features 10 Coral Trees made of PVC pipe and floating buoys. In the past few years, the organization has grown and re-planted more than 7,500 staghorn and elkhorn coral fragments back into the island's existing reefs. Additionally, the organization partners with new dive affiliates on-island to expand their marine-life sustainability efforts.