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Bonaire (by Gloria & Milton Best)
The climate is ideal, with an average year round temperature of 82OF. Combined with a pleasant easterly trade wind, an average yearly rainfall of 21 inches and a location outside the hurricane belt, the tropical conditions offer perfect weather almost every day of the year. Water temperature varies between 78o F in winter and 84oF in summer. Diving is comfortable year round with a light wetsuit or a polartec. As a result of sparse rainfall and protection by the Bonaire Marine Park, the waters remain unusually clear and frequently offer visibility of up to 100 feet or more. The ocean on the lee side of the Island, where most of the diving takes place, is calm and the current is minimal. Bonaire presents the visitor with an unusual landscape. A drive around the island displays the dramatic effects that climate and the seas have had on the island's topography over geological time frames. Divi trees bent horizontal by the trade winds and many types of cacti share the island with freely roaming goats and donkeys. Deposits of coral left behind as water levels receded in the distant past have become fossilized. There are natural caves, some filled with bats, others containing mysterious Indian inscriptions, and still others leading to underground bodies of water into which cave-divers have fearlessly ventured. Thousands of Flamingoes nest in the salt flats of southern Bonaire from which they migrate daily to and from Venezuela.
There are numerous shore locations that have easy entries and appeal to Snorkelers who want to see interesting coral formations and marine life. We will discuss some of those locations below under "Dive Sites". Remember that all boats for divers will welcome you if the sites are amenable to snorkeling. In addition, there are two services that are designed to take you to see the marine life in the shallows off the coast of Klein Bonaire, which is the nesting site for Turtles. A drift snorkel will frequently result in multiple sightings, especially if Spot-Winged Comb Jellies are abundant since the turtles feed on them. Spotted Eagle Rays may also hover there. You are dropped off at a sand beach to loll and enjoy the calm turquoise water before returning to Bonaire. It is a relaxing way to spend the morning or afternoon.
Dive Sites There are too many dive sites on Bonaire and Klein Bonaire to discuss them all. Instead, we will limit ourselves to some of our favorites and try to recommend sites with a variety in the types of reef you will encounter. South Bonaire: For those who enjoy wreck diving, there is the Hilma Hooker, a submerged tanker that lies on its side on a sand bottom 100 feet from the surface. The stern rests precipitously next to a drop-off leading to the abyss. The more superficial side of the ship is at a depth of about 85 feet. This is a deep dive that requires a decompression stop. An interesting and popular dive site is Angel City, which is characterized by a double reef. Both of these sites can be accessed from the shore. Mid-Bonaire: An especially popular site, especially for photographers, is a night dive to Town Pier in Kralendijk, the capitol. When the coral on the pillars of the pier open at night the display of colors is spectacular. Take your camera. One of our very favorite sites is Bari Reef, an easy shore dive from the dock at the Sand Dollar Condominium Resort. It is well known for the profusion of fish and invertebrate life that populates the coral reef. Two unusual sightings recently reported were frogfish and sea horses. Finally, there is Small Wall. It is only 50 to 60 feet from the surface and is full of coral and invertebrates. It's an easy and relaxing dive that we have enjoyed many times both from the shore and from boats. North Bonaire: Snorkelers and divers will like the sites mentioned here. Andrea I is a good example. For shore divers, the entry from the beach has to be navigated carefully but there is one area that offers fairly easy access to the sea. While snorkeling, we have observed very large rainbow and midnight blue parrotfish swimming through passages in the coral heads. Divers find the coral reef in good shape and enjoy a satisfying experience. One Thousand Steps is a great site. For snorkelers, the beach entry is simple and the reef has interesting coral formations and fish life about 50 feet to the north or south of the entry area. For divers, the site is excellent but they must keep in mind that from the shore it is the necessary to lug the gear and tanks down and up all those steps, not quite a thousand but it sure feels that way. One of our favorite sites for both snorkelers and divers is Karpata. The entry is easy from a flat concrete pad in the shallow water. Coral is varied in character. There is an abundance of large and impressive fans and other soft coral near shore and at depth. Lots of marine life complements the coral. You will enjoy this dive or snorkel experience. To get there you will be driving on a one way road in the north. Returning to your accommodations will require a round trip through Rincon, a smaller city than Kralendijk. The good thing is that you can stop at Prisca's shop for the best ice cream you've ever had. Klein Bonaire: This uninhabited island in the lee of Bonaire offers numerous dives on a pristine fringing reef. We have never been disappointed on a boat dive to Klein Bonaire. It's difficult to single out any one location so we will simply name some of the sites we have enjoyed. On the south coast Bonaventure and Monte Divi are beautiful dive sites but not good for snorkeling. On the other hand Rock Pile and South Bay welcome both divers and snorkelers. On the northwest coast there are four particularly lovely sites. Mi Dushi means my sweetheart in the local language of Papiamentu. You take it from there. Others are Forest, Carl's Hill and Leonora's Reef.
Other Sporting Activities Wind-Surfing: On the East Coast of Bonaire, protected from the turbulent Atlantic Ocean by a coral reef, lies a calm shallow bay that is world famous in wind-surfing circles. The trade winds provide a constant source of energy to power surfers across the water. Whether a novice or an expert, Lac Bay is the place to improve your technique or challenge your abilities. Windsurf shops, located adjacent to the Bay, provide boards, sails and any other equipment you may desire. It is a relaxed setting with a white sand beach, turquoise water, and a beach bar. A more idyllic site for windsurfing would be hard to find. Kayaking: This sport has become very popular in recent years. Numerous dive operations on Bonaire now offer Kayaking in the sea on the calm lee side of the island or in the Mangroves. Both Sit-In and Sit-On-Top programs are available, as are instruction and guided tours. If you have never kayaked before, it is time to give it a try. Sailing and Para-Sailing: The reliable easterly direction of the trade winds enhances both these sports. You can rent a sailboat or simply cruise with one of the captains on an early snorkel trip or for a sunset dinner on board. There is also a speedboat available for para-sailing and water skiing. Cycling: There is probably no better way to experience the unique landscape of Bonaire than from the seat of a bicycle. There are many bike trails that will take you to beaches, lagoons, mountains, etc. Some operators combine biking and scuba packages. Restaurants The cuisine available on Bonaire is truly a fusion of the tastes of many countries. You can choose from Chinese, Italian, Swiss, French, Indonesian and many others. Fast food or haute cuisine combine with unusual spices for a memorable meal. There are excellent restaurants that specialize in fish. Lists of restaurants and their specialties are available at most resorts and hotels. Rest assured you would have a large choice in a price range you can afford. Accommodations The needs of all size parties and groups, including children, can be met. Accommodations range from private houses to efficiency apartments. Most visitors to Bonaire stay at one of the condominium resorts along the West Coat, where the vast majority of dive sites are located. Buildings are limited to three stories so there are no tall hotels. Usually the resorts offer all size apartments, from studios to 3 bedrooms.
Milton can be contacted for information about accommodations or anything else concerning Bonaire, on Dive.Bonaire@Verizon.Net. Milton can also offer accomadation in a 2BR condominium apartment . If you would like to see what the apartment is like visit his web Site or see the link on our diving links.
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"Divers'
Paradise", "Shore-diving Capital of the World", "Home of Barefoot Elegance":
These are the phrases visitors have used to describe their vacations on
Bonaire and they are all accurate. Bonaire is fortunately endowed with
a rich environment of marine life and coral splendor in its surrounding
waters that are designated a protected Marine Park. The result is a vacation
spot that is excellent for scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing and a
variety of other water sports. Bonaire is a small island that is part
of the Netherlands Antilles and is located in the Caribbean
Sea about 60 miles north of Venezuela. For those who are astronomically
or navigationally inclined, it is at Latitude 12o 10' N and Longitude
67o 17' W with a magnetic declination of about 10o W. 
In
the north, Washington Park is a spectacular tract of land that abuts on
the violently crashing Atlantic coastline and is home to myriad species
of birds, some of which will eat from your hand. Iguanas laze in the afternoon
sun. Ladies wearing sandals be wary. Iguanas are attracted to red-painted
toenails. After a day spent on the land or in the water, there is the
enjoyable event of experiencing a spectacular Bonairean sunset emblazoning
the sky and clouds with its rosy hue. Diving and Snorkeling on Bonaire
and Klein Bonaire Bonaire is located in an advantageous position in the
Caribbean Sea that enables it to capture the currents carrying juvenile
fish spawned in the Windward Islands to the west and Venezuela to the
north. Those fish that survive their pelagic phase are deposited on the
shores of Bonaire where they drop into the coral and mature into adults.
Snorkel trips into the Mangroves reveal large schools of juveniles. On
our last trip into the Mangroves, there was an impressive array of juvenile
barracudas as small as a pinky, easily identified despite their small
size. 
The
fish population of Bonaire is profuse and variegated, as is the invertebrate
marine life living within the coral formations. Klein Bonaire is a smaller
uninhabited island off the West Coast of Bonaire. It has a large number
of beautiful dive and snorkel sites that will expose you to an interesting
variety of hard and soft coral. One of the nice things about diving on
these islands is the variety of depths that provide an extremely satisfying
experience to divers with all levels of experience. The reefs of Bonaire
are close to shore. A short swim on or below the surface will deliver
you to the reef, which begins at a depth of about 25 to 30 feet and descends
at a comfortable angle as far as you wish to dive. At 35 to 60 feet, one
can see a profusion of fish and invertebrate life that will satisfy most
divers. The shallow and deep depths available from shore and boat make
diving on Bonaire perfect for novice as well as advanced divers. Nitrox
is available for the more adventurous who are trained to use it. We recently
met a scuba instructor who wanted to dive to 200 feet to see a batfish.
He wore three tanks, two smaller ones with nitrox on his chest and a larger
one with an ordinary air supply on his back. He saw the batfish, but more
importantly he surfaced with a smile on his face. Snorkelers, there is
no need to despair. 
