Curacao’s Curasub: The Caribbean’s Best Kept Secret

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Curacao’s Curasub: The Caribbean’s Best Kept Secret

There’s more to Curacao than adventurous diving, ghost stories in the Kura Hurland Village and riding an ostrich at the largest Ostrich farm outside of Africa.

C-Suite Insights Host, Nicole Sawyer meets up with a man known as “Dutch” who on Curacao is considered a modern-day Jacques Cousteau. He owns one of the only private submarines in the world.

Dutch’s real name is Adrian Schrier and he’s the man behind the sea aquarium. He transformed the destitute South-East area of Curacao called Bapor Kibra into a dream destination.

His once floating office greets you as you enter the sea aquarium, a massive minesweeper ship called “The Woerden.” This vessel now cemented on a concrete platform retired from its days at war defending Holland. He bought the ship from the Dutch navy back in the early ’90’s.

Over the years he planted more than 500 palm trees, started a dive shop, and built an underwater petting zoo called Animal Encounters, where families can feed sharks and turtles. He also designed the Dolphin Suites Hotel for travelers with physical disabilities and they provide dolphin therapy to children with autism.

Meanwhile, money needs to be made. Rich tourists are the answer. For $650 you can hitch a ride in the Curasub with Dutch and his pilots. Dutch says the next big trend in toys for the world’s wealthiest is submarines and a growing number of people are requesting submersibles on the back of their yachts.

But while tourists look out over the coral reefs on Dutch’s private submarine, the Curasub and its crew are searching for something else under the sea: possible cures to save human lives. The Curasub’s primary purpose isn’t to be a toy for the rich, but medical research. Dutch teamed up with scientists from the Smithsonian and in just two years they have found 13 new species that exist only at the greatest depths. They hope the rare slit snails and sponges they unearthed could one day be used for the development of new anesthesia and treatment of cancer.

So while Curacao may be the best-kept secret in the Caribbean, the best-kept secret in Curacao might yet be discovered.

Curacao’s Curasub: The Caribbean’s Best Kept Secret

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