By Rick Stratton
Publisher, Dive News Network
You know how you can go see a movie a second time and you are just amazed by all of the things that you notice that you missed the first time around…my trip to Bonaire in September this year was exactly like that!
Bonaire, an island located in the southern Caribbean has quickly become one of my favorite dive destinations. Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao all make up a group referred to as the “ABC islands of the Leeward Antilles” and are located approximately 50 miles north of Venezuela. Calm weather and waters full of marine life makes the Bonaire area a playground for divers. A yearly average temperature is 82 degrees while the water temp sits at a bath water warm 80 degrees makes the island an any-time-of-the-year dive destination. The reefs are well preserved and offer an amazingly diverse marine community and it is said that Bonaire’s fish population is the most diverse in the Caribbean and ranks among the best anywhere.
Bonaire with its pristine reefs and diverse marine life gives the diver an opportunity to see the environment untouched and unspoiled. I couldn’t wait to get back after my first trip last November so when my daughter, Amanda, and I were invited back I jumped at the chance.
I stayed at the Caribbean Club Bonaire this time around and I was not disappointed by the accommodations. Located north of Kralendijk at the foot of Bonaire’s hills and just steps away from some incredible dive sites this was a friendly and affordable place with full resort facilities. They recently added some new condos on site and they were great.
On this second trip to Bonaire I was able to spend some time diving and once again exploring Bonaire. In September the coral spawn so it was incredible that we happen to be there while it was taking place. We dove with Buddy Dive Resorts and their contribution to the trip made it that much better. The staff is friendly and family focused making it a great place to take your family for a dive experience. The facilities were great and Agusto, the dive manager, and Paul, the facilities manager, did an amazing job keeping up. There entire staff was incredible.
One of the really cool experiences I had this go round was the chance to meet the famous Captain Don. Captain Don’s Habitat is a world famous Dive Resort that was founded in 1976 by renowned underwater environmentalist and author Captain Don Stewart. His vision for the perfect dive resort is reflected in the design of the resort. It is water front with a world class restaurant on the grounds and right across from where I was staying at the Caribbean Club. I went over to get Captain Don to sign a copy of his book, Reef Windows, a book dedicated to Bonaire’s Dive sites, and had a drink with Jack Chalk the manager of the tiki bar Deco Stop while I waited. What a great experience!
Bonaire is a popular dive destination and when you ask divers where they want to go, often many will tell you Bonaire is on the list. In fact, 90 percent of the travelers who go to Bonaire are divers and over 80 percent are United States based. The island even has a seamless money transfer system in order to cater to US residents.
I would task anyone traveling to Bonaire for diving to attempt to experience it all. There are some very interesting land based activities such as hiking and historical tours.
There is a Donkey Sanctuary where they house the generations of donkeys who were long ago brought to the island. In 1993 Dutch Nationals, Marina Melis and her husband Ed Koopman established a donkey sanctuary on Bonaire for sick, wounded and orphaned donkeys. The primary objective of Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire is to offer a sheltered, protected life to all the donkeys of Bonaire. It is a really interesting place to visit.
So if you are looking for a family oriented place to dive and explore while meeting some of the most interesting people, Bonaire is where you want to head. Family…diving…great people…what more could you ask for. ■
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