Diver's we aren't in Kansas anymore, I thought as the group of divers from Bad Leo's Diving splashed into the warm clear crystalline waters of Curacao. There is no doubt that they are no longer in the Mid-west. The water temps at our local dive sports are in the low 70's until you hit the thermocline, then the temp would drop quickly to the mid 40's and dang that's cold! But here in Curacao with the water in the upper 80's, no thermocline and 80 ft plus visibility the furthest thing from our minds is Midwest cold, instead we are soaking our fins in the tropics.

Laid back, enjoying the warmth of a different kind of dive, our divers appear to be floating in air more than in water. The green plant life below them looked more like a forest on a drive through the Carolina mountains. It's been a while since we have had such great viz and everyone is thrilled to be here to experience all that we can in Curacao and the Breezes resort.

Ocean Encounters, located in Curacao, were our hosts on this great adventure. Their boats were in tip top shape and the staff was great. Remy, one of our dive masters, not only made sure we saw everything we could underwater but also provided us with a history of the country and the various sites that we dove. The Ocean Encounters staff was very accommodating. Whether you preferred a DIN tank instead of a Yoke or used air a little faster than everyone else and needed a bigger tank- it was no problem. The staff were all very interested in making sure that your diving was enjoyable and safe. Each of the staff brought a little something different to the dynamics and pleasure of the dives. From Marlique with the pre-dive briefings to Jelle with soccer discussions to Remy with his vast local knowledge and sharing local history with us during the surface intervals as well as Frida who taught the Abba giant stride (to learn it you will really have to see her) everyone was focused on our great time.

Curacao is an incredible place. It is one of the ABC Islands with its sister islands of Aruba to the west and Bonaire to the east. All of the islands make up the Netherlands Antilles which is located about 40 miles north of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. Located outside of the hurricane belt 12 degrees north of the Equator, it has a year round sunny climate with average temps in the mid 80's. Easterly trade winds constantly blow making it very comfortable. Curacao was discovered by the Spanish in 1499 but the culture is heavily influenced by the Dutch, who took over in 1634. Because of African slave trade, the African heritage is strongly noticeable in the music and dance during some of the evening activities at the resort. All of these rich cultures add to the mystic of the islands.

The reefs around Curacao were all in good shape. Divers here are very conscious about their buoyancy and ensuring they don't slam or bounce into the soft and hard corals. As underwater photographers we worked hard on getting that perfect shot even though at times we had to make a decision to pass on that particular shot so there was no damage the coral.

We dove a number of fantastic sites. While diving the Lost Anchor dive site, located to the west of Sal Island, I spotted a large group of goat fish traveling across the sandy bottom. I watched them move and dig searching for food and they reminded me of a heard of buffalo doing the same across the plains of Kansas.

At Snake Bay we spotted a couple of Caribbean reef squid. As I was hovering working on getting a picture the squid came closer and closer. They are so inquisitive and interesting. I looked up from my camera and that couple became a squadron. One of them came within a few inches of my face. I tried to control my breathing so they would not be scared away by the bubbles. (would have been a great time to have a rebreather) In the background another squid changed from red to white and then flashed between the two colors. It was amazing to watch. As I and the squid closest to me came eye to eye, it was as if we were greeting each other with a warm, friendly Bon Bini, Papiamento for "welcome".

While in Curacao we stayed at Breezes Curacao which is located right on the water. The resort sits on 1500 feet of pure white sand, beside crystal clear waters. The resort is adjacent to a pristine Undersea National Park. The staff was great, in fact, all the people we met in Curacao were great. Kelly, from New York, had her first discover scuba experience there and from what she told us, she'll be signing up for a full scuba certification class when she returns home. A group of divers from the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area joined us on some of our adventures. We had some great conversions about diving, dive equipment and the things that we all saw while exploring the surrounding waters.

We had a great time and would like to give our thanks to our buddies at Scuba Travel Ventures for getting this trip set up. It was yet another great adventure with Bad Leo's Diving and Scuba Travel Ventures made it all it needed to be.

Curacao is on our list of locations to return to over and over again. Where will Bad Leo's Diving go next? We will be headed to the enchanting dive sites of the Philippines in 2011. I'm guessing we will have a few other places that we will be exploring between now and then though so come join us on a future dive expedition....you won't be sorry.

For more info on Bad Leo's Diving visit www.badleosdiving.com and for more info on Scuba Travel Ventures visit www.scubatravelventures.com. ■