“On a slow ascent to the surface of the water from 18 meters down, the dive master spots something thrilling along the reef and extends her hand with all five fingers wiggling excitedly.
It is a signal that can mean only one thing: Octopus!
Scuttling around coral, the octopus quickly scrunches up into an eight-armed torpedo and squirts away. Soon, it stops to unfold itself on a sandy patch of the reef, almost as if to pose the best side of its bulbous, mushy head. Then, it camouflages into the seascape right before our eyes”
Bonaire’s pristine shore reefs and diverse marine life are unique in the world. Because the waters around Bonaire are designated as an official marine park, diving Bonaire is like diving the world the way it used to be – untouched and unspoiled. The island’s location in the south Caribbean gives it an arid climate with little rainfall; consequently, the waters are exceptionally clear of silt, calm, and divable year round. It is an ideal destination for underwater photographers. Water temperatures average a warm 78-84°F (25.6-28.9°C), with visibility often averaging over 100 feet(30m), and frequently, up to 150 feet (55m).
One of the 86 dive sites on Bonaire is called Alice in Wonderland.
The Readers of Scuba Diving Magazine Choose Bonaire, Again and Again!
Each year, the readers of Scuba Diving Magazine give their opinions about the best diving destinations around the world, and Bonaire has once again been awarded high honors with seven #1 ratings, including the #1 Top Overall Diving Destination in the Caribbean and Atlantic, for the eighth consecutive year.
Readers also chose Bonaire as the #1 destination for six additional Caribbean/Atlantic categories, including Top Marine Life, Top Macro Life, Top Snorkeling, Top Shore Diving, Top Underwater Photography, and Top Value, proving once again that Bonaire offers the most to Caribbean-bound divers. Additionally, the island was honored with #2 spots in Top Visibility, Top Health of Marine Environment, and Top Overall Destination, and a #3 spot was won in Top Advanced Diving.
To generate the Readers’ Choice Awards, many subscribers of the print magazine, along with web users, rated their dive experiences on a scale of one to five. Results of the 2010 Awards are featured in the January/February 2010 issue of Scuba Diving Magazine. (Source: Scuba Diving Magazine)
Dive & Snorkel Sites
To see a more detailed dive map, please visit http://www.bonairediveguide.com/
Overview
Just about everyone knows that “SCUBA” is an acronym for Self Contained Under Water Breathing Apparatus. The sport has become extremely popular in the last two decades, due in part to places like Bonaire, which has taken great pains to preserve the underwater world by establishing one of the first marine parks in the Caribbean. The other reason Bonaire has become such a popular destination is the wide variety of fish life and the ease of diving that the island offers.
Dive Conditions
Bonaire’s pristine reefs and diverse marine life are unique to the Caribbean. Because the waters around Bonaire have been protected by an actively managed marine park for the past 30 years, Bonaire today ranks amongst the top four best diving destinations in the world*. The island’s location in the south Caribbean gives it an arid climate with little rain fall; consequently, the waters are exceptionally clear of silt, calm, and diveable year round. It is an ideal destination for underwater photographers. Water temperatures average a warm 78-84°F (25.6-28.9°C), with visibility averaging over 100 feet (30m), and frequently reaching up to 150 feet (50m). Bonaire Web Cams offers above and below water web cams plus complete current weather conditions.
Most Dive Operators are members of CURO, the Council of Underwater Resort Operators. As members, they participate in establishing standards and uniform practices that, along with the Bonaire Marine Park Rules, have worked to preserve our reefs and the fragile ecosystem of the reef.
Bonaire Dive Orientation
If you are planning a trip to Bonaire and have a dive/hotel package you will be given a thorough dive orientation and briefing before your first dive on the island. One of the Bonaire Marine Park Regulations is for all visitors to do a check-out dive as part of the briefing process before taking off on their own to shore dive or going on a dive boat. The main reasons for this are to have each diver check buoyancy so that damage to the reef is minimized or eliminated and also to check out their dive equipment, whether it be rented or owned. Also, every diver on Bonaire must purchase a Marine Park Tag valid for one calendar year. Orientation procedures vary from dive center to dive center, so it’s a good idea to check in early.
This is an old wreck at 100 feet one of the hallmark dives on Bonaire.
Recompression Chamber
In case of a diving accident or emergency, Bonaire has one of the Caribbean’s best staffed recompression chamber. The chamber is located adjacent to the San Francisco Hospital Emergency Room, and people in need of treatment must go to the hospital to gain access to the chamber.
The Bonaire Marine
Park
The fringing reef which surrounds Bonaire is a National Marine Park from the high water mark down to a depth of 200 feet/60m. Every diver who has not dived on Bonaire within the last calendar year must attend a diver orientation dealing with Bonaire Marine Park regulations and information. These orientation sessions are usually held at around 9AM the morning after you arrive on Bonaire, and you are required to attend and to obtain your Marine Park tag, which is necessary to legally dive in Bonaire’s waters. The cost of the tag is U
S$25, and proceeds help support park management and services.
MORE DIVING VIDEOS
This is another quintessential Bonaire dive – the Salt Pier.
Night diving on Bonaire.
Wreck dive to Hilma Hooker.
Diving on Bonaire? Get your nature tag!
One of Bonaire’s most beautiful dive sites is 1000 Steps.
