Ocean Encounters (Lions Dive & Sunscape Resort)

Set on Mambo Beach in Curaçao, Ocean Encounters is a PADI 5-Star IDC Resort with over 20 years of experience behind it. Based at the Lions Dive & Sunscape Resort, this waterfront operation pairs a team of 14 PADI instructors with a welcoming, multilingual atmosphere — staff speak English, Spanish, Dutch, French, German and Portuguese, so divers from many corners of the world feel at home.

Courses, conservation and who it suits

The full PADI menu runs from Scuba Diving and Snorkelling courses to EFR first aid, with Adaptive Diving and a dedicated Adaptive Services Facility making the sport accessible to more guests. Nitrox, air fills, equipment sales and rental (including kids' gear) round out the support. Conservation runs deep here: the centre proudly hosts Reef Renewal Curaçao and has earned the PADI Green Star Award.

Two house reefs — Stella Maris and Car Pile — sit right on the doorstep, while the wider dive map reaches Klein Curaçao, Mushroom Forest, Porto Mari, Beacon Point, Barracuda Point and more. With sharks, rays, turtles, eels, corals and reef fish on the cards, it's a fitting base for first-timers and seasoned divers alike.