WILLEMSTAD — Last Friday evening, the BRANCH Coral Foundation, in collaboration with the Sandals Foundation and Sandals Royal Curaçao, hosted their annual fundraiser in support of the island’s coral reefs. The event brought together conservation partners, government leaders, and community members for an inspiring night dedicated to reef restoration.
Founded by marine biologist Max van Aalst, BRANCH Coral Foundation has been actively restoring Curaçao’s reefs for the past three years under its motto, “Grow. Reefs. Together.” With eight coral nursery locations across the island, BRANCH grows approximately 7,000 corals annually, supported by more than 150 volunteers and numerous local partners. In addition to coral restoration, the foundation places strong emphasis on education and community engagement, efforts that are increasingly visible in Curaçao’s marine ecosystems.
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One year ago, BRANCH Coral Foundation and the Sandals Foundation formed a partnership focused on hands-on reef conservation. Together, they established a coral nursery near Sandals Royal Curaçao that grows 800 endangered staghorn corals each year. The partnership extends beyond coral nurseries: Sandals actively promotes sustainability awareness among its guests and regularly participates in coral maintenance and monitoring dives alongside BRANCH. Recently, Sandals’ watersports team became certified in the PADI BRANCH Coral Restoration Dive, enabling them to educate local divers and guests about coral reef ecosystems and restoration efforts.
The fundraiser welcomed more than 200 attendees, all showing strong support for the preservation of Curaçao’s marine heritage. Guests celebrated the shared mission while enjoying live music by the local band Manique and Serendipity, raising a glass to the reef alongside BRANCH’s many partners. These include Sandals, Jan Thiel, Scuba Do, Fundiving Curaçao, Dive Center Pietermaai, Sunscape, Il Mare, Dreams, Kokomo, and Porto Mari Sports partners both longstanding and new, united by a common goal.
The evening was further honored by the presence of Prime Minister Gilmar “Pik” Pisas and Minister Tyron Boekhoudt of the Ministry of Health, Environment and Nature.
During the event, Jeffrey Speelman, General Manager of Sandals Royal Curaçao, announced plans to double the resort’s coral nursery capacity and expand support to additional coral species, an important step forward for local reef restoration.
Thanks to generous donations from sponsors through a lottery and silent auction, the event raised more than XCG 20.000, directly supporting the ongoing work of BRANCH Coral Foundation.
BRANCH Coral Foundation invites everyone on Curaçao who is passionate about nature conservation to join their efforts. You can reach out via www.branchcoralfoundation.com
Let’s grow reefs together.
Photos by Wave 7 Creatives
