It is true, the words Bonaire and diving
are always mentioned in the same breath. When you just look
at a map of Bonaire and scroll your eyes along the West coast
of the island you can count over 80 dive sites including the
uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire. But here it's not just
about the impressive number of sites we have for such a small
island, it is the reason why you choose Bonaire for diving.
Our underwater world is a precious gift given to us by nature.
When you arrive on Bonaire
the first thing you will experience is the gentle fusion of
land and water; the freedom of being surrounded by soothing
sights of clear waters and the beauty of being allowed to
share our neighbor's underwater world. They give us permission
to enter their world easily from many doorways, about 80 to
be precise. By day and night. They give us visibility to at
least 60 feet so we don't miss out on any underwater action.
They make us feel comfortable by making sure the room temperature
is always around 80 ° F (28 °) and so that we don't
exceed their speed limit, there are 'no strong current' signs
placed pretty much everywhere. They even sit still and pose
for us so we can take great macro shots. All of that they
give us, whether you are a first time visitor or have been
there many times, their home is always open to us. And what
do they ask in return? The promise that we will treat them
with respect and conserve their home so that you and many
other divers, snorkelers, lovers of nature and our local residents
have something to pass on to next generations. And our promise
we keep... The waters around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire are
protected by the Bonaire Marine Park up to a depth of 200
feet.
So now that we've gotten you all excited let's tell you a
little bit more about some great dive sites and what sort of
diving you can do on Bonaire. We offer diving experiences
from the age of five, open water courses,
instructor courses, specialty courses such as wreck, rescue
and photography and technical diving such as REC TECH, diving
with Nitrox and re-breathers. Our operations are all PADI
5 star Gold Palm. Our boats are never crowded and our
tanks are out for grabbing at any time of the day so you can
explore shore diving at your own leisure. We even offer drive-thru
self-service. Yes, just drive through, pick up a couple of
tanks and off you go. Visit
Buddy Dive
if you want more information on diving or courses.
Bonaire boasts over 350 species of
fish, the highest fish count in the Caribbean, and about 60
types of coral. Our fish life include reef fish such as frog
fish, trumpet fish, angel and parrot fish, scorpion fish,
baby shrimp and seahorses, but also moray eels, squids, tarpons
and sea turtles such as Loggerhead and Hawksbill. Occasionally,
if it's your lucky day, you will see some pelagic life such
as manta rays and dolphins. Here are a few of our great dive
sites you don't want to miss:
| Andrea I |
Thousand Steps |
| Andrea II |
Klein Bonaire |
| Angel City |
The Lake |
| Alice in Wonderland |
Salt Pier |
| Aquarius |
Salt City |
| Karpata |
Town Pier |
| Larry's Lair |
The Invisibles |
| Jeannie's Glory |
Lighthouse Point |
| Hilma Hooker (wreck) |
Punt Vierkant |
| Ol' Blue |
Windsock |
Not a diver? Not a problem.
One of the features that makes Bonaire so special for its
snorkeling and diving is the location of the coral and the
reefs, so close to the shore. You don't have to go very far
to see schools of fish, squid or even turtles..oh and did
we mention the stunning parrot fish that always seem to awe
people. We offer guided snorkel (sail) trips
to Klein Bonaire and to other locations and guided
night snorkeling. Here are some great places for
snorkeling that you might want to try. And don't worry about
equipment, if you need snorkel and fins, we have them available
for rent or for sale. Snorkel trips can be booked through
the reception or activities desk of your hotel or apartment.
| Karpata |
Andrea II |
| Ol' Blue |
Eighteenth Palm |
| Thousand Steps |
Town Pier |
| Andrea I |
|
Bonaire's water based activities
are endless. Apart from diving and snorkeling, kayaking is
one of the activities that is gaining most popularity. Especially
in the mangroves, the ocean's nursery, South East of the island,
better known as Lac Bay. The tours through the mangroves
are guided, a lot of fun to do in small groups and very educational.
Make sure you put on enough sunscreen though. You can choose
to go solo in a sit-on-top kayak or double up in a kayak for
two. Kayaking can also be combined with a snorkel
experience and is not limited to the mangroves. The
west coast line is very exciting to see by kayak and you can
also kayak on a guided tour to Klein Bonaire. Kayaking can
be booked through the reception or activities desk of your
hotel or apartment. "for more information please
visit
www.buddydive.com/activities.html"
Bonaire had quite a diversified
cave system, dry and shallow caves, caves with tunnels and
even caves that offer snorkeling.
Our guides can take you to secret spots, show you interesting
stalagmites and stalactites and point out tiny critters that
only they know how to find after so many experiences. Bring
along some sturdy shoes and a wetsuit or dive skin. We will
supply a back pack, light, snorkel set, water and a towel
for you to use. Our groups have a maximum of four and a minimum
of two people. Cave exploring can be booked through the activities
desk or reception at your hotel or apartment. "for more
information please visit
www.buddydive.com/activities.html"
Discover the island's back
roads, beautiful vista's and flora by mountain bike. Bonaire
has an expanding network of bike trails,
designed to suit different levels. The trails, that are marked
by orange stones, take you to visit areas and see things that
you would not ordinarily see by car. A fun way to explore
the island and experience nature op close. Make sure to wear
airy clothes, have enough sunscreen on and carry a back pack
with water. "for more information please
visit
www.buddydive.com/activities.html"
SASY stands for Supplied Air Snorkeling for Youth. This program
is for kids from the age of 5 and up. They will experience
snorkeling with a BCD-like floating device
-a small scuba unit- breathing compressed air while skimming
the surface. The SASY units can be rented out for kids to
use with their parents or they can take a SASY class with
one of our experienced instructors. This program is under
direct supervision and a lot of fun for younger kids.
Bubble Maker is a Discovery Scuba program
for kids from the age of 8 years old. They will be geared
up with an entire scuba unit including a kiddies tank and
experience scuba diving with their instructor in the swimming
pool. For the more adventurous kids this can be followed by
a dive in the shallow waters in front of the resort up to
a depth of 2 meters. For kids from the age of 10, but also
for adults alike, there is the Discover Scuba Diving.
This is a trial dive in the swimming pool including one dive
in the ocean up to a depth of 12 meters.
From the age of 10, kids can become fully PADI certified and
become Junior Open Water Divers certifying
them to dive with their parents, a professional diver or an
adult (depending on their age). The course entails four days
of training including four ocean dives. For kids that cannot
take the full open water course, because of too little time
or not wanting to spend four days in a course, PADI offers
the PADI Scuba Diver. This is a 2 day program
that includes two open water dives in the ocean and three
confined dives in the swimming pool, certifying people from
the age of 10 to dive with a professional diver. After that,
if they still wish to become fully certified, they can pick
up where they left by completing the other half of the course
and becoming an Open Water Diver.
Get a little closer to
Bonaire's calm waters... by boat. There is nothing like
experiencing the beautiful underwater world or a mesmerizing
sunset up close and personal. For sail charters or
boat rentals contact your reception or the activities desk
Jibe City is a very relaxed and laidback windsurf center
on Bonaire with ideal windsurfing conditions. Shallow water
and a constant onshore wind. never to worry to being blown
out to sea. Boards and completely rigged sails are ready to
take out on our beautiful bay.
www.jibecity.com
For an unforgettable eco-experience into our pristine
mangroves, the wonderful caves, the "outback" of Bonaire and
into the rough nature of the National Park on a private tour
that fits to your needs. Discover that unknown part of
Bonaire see Outdoor Bonaire.
www.outdoorbonaire.com
