Caribbean Watch: Curaçao

This page contains current ocean conditions in the Caribbean Sea, focusing on Curaçao, inferred from the Mercator Ocean reanalysis dataset.

Physical oceanographic conditions in the Caribbean Sea are considered. Here we use a combination of data from Mercator Ocean and a state-of-the-art, fine-scale hydrodynamic model of the full Caribbean Sea region using ADCIRC. The former is an operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set. This assimilates data using the NEMO ocean model (version 3.1, at a horizontal spatial resolution of 1/12º, 3-9 km) from various sources, including satellite and shipboard observations, to give the best, continuous approximation of ocean behaviour in space and time, over the period 2007-2017.

Current regional conditions

Please note that the nighly forecasts that usually appear here are currently unavailable. They will be again. Please check back for updates.

Up to date two-hourly mean surface currents of the Caribbean Sea in the regional waters of Curaçao, either side of 26th April 2023: from a week before on 19th April 2023 and forecast nine days ahead to 5th May 2023.

Two-hourly mean surface currents of the Caribbean Sea in the regional waters of Curaçao. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here. A forecast of the daily mean surface velocity is also available here.

Current local conditions

Up to date two-hourly mean surface currents of the Caribbean Sea in the regional waters of Curaçao, either side of 26th April 2023: from a week before on 19th April 2023 and forecast nine days ahead to 5th May 2023.

Two-hourly mean surface currents of the Caribbean Sea in the regional waters of Curaçao. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here. A forecast of the daily mean surface velocity is also available here.

Annual review for 2017

Animations of the daily mean surface currents of the regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Jamaica and its coastal waters in the year 2017.

Regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao

Daily mean surface currents of the regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao for 2017. Frames move through days of the year. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.
Daily mean surface currents of the regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao for 2017. Each block shows a month, with Jan, Feb, Mar across the top, then Apr-Jun in the second row, Jul-Sep in the third and Oct-Dec across the bottom. Frames move through days of the month. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.

Coastal waters surrounding Curaçao

Daily mean surface currents of the coastal waters surrounding Curaçao for 2017. Frames move through days of the year. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.
Daily mean surface currents of the coastal waters surrounding Curaçao for 2017. Each block shows a month, with Jan, Feb, Mar across the top, then Apr-Jun in the second row, Jul-Sep in the third and Oct-Dec across the bottom. Frames move through days of the month. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.

Daily mean surface currents of the Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao and its coastal waters in the year 2017, at figshare: DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.5620528.v1.

Annual review for 2016

Animations of the daily mean surface currents of the regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Jamaica and its coastal waters in the year 2016.

Regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao

Daily mean surface currents of the regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao for 2016. Frames move through days of the year. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.
Daily mean surface currents of the regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao for 2016. Each block shows a month, with Jan, Feb, Mar across the top, then Apr-Jun in the second row, Jul-Sep in the third and Oct-Dec across the bottom. Frames move through days of the month. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.

Coastal waters surrounding Curaçao

Daily mean surface currents of the coastal waters surrounding Curaçao for 2016. Frames move through days of the year. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.
Daily mean surface currents of the coastal waters surrounding Curaçao for 2016. Each block shows a month, with Jan, Feb, Mar across the top, then Apr-Jun in the second row, Jul-Sep in the third and Oct-Dec across the bottom. Frames move through days of the month. Velocity data is from the Mercator operational 1/12º global ocean physics and analysis data set (Mercator Ocean, 2017). Bathymetry and coastlines determined from GEBCO (2014). To identify the location of shallower waters, a red line marks the 100m depth contour. Available to download here.

Daily mean surface currents of the regional Caribbean Sea surrounding Curaçao and its coastal waters in the year 2016, at figshare: DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.5620525.v1.