Where Is Bonaire Scuba Diving?

Bonaire is a top scuba diving destination in the world, offering unlimited shore diving, macro life, beginner-friendly dives, and services catering to advanced divers. With over 85 dive sites easily accessible from the beach, Bonaire is the ultimate shore diving paradise for divers of all levels and skills. The Dutch Caribbean island, located just north of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean, has protected its marine resources for over 350 years.

One of the most well-known and popular dive sites on Bonaire is One Thousand Steps, which is home to over 57 species of soft and stony coral. Bonaires National Marine Park offers 89 dive sites, with 54 being shore dives. With over 85 dive sites, Bonaire Island offers some of the best scuba diving in the world.

Bonaire is a land-based diving destination, with diving and staying at a dive resort averaged at around 100-200 personnights. Some Bonaire diving resorts, such as Angel City, are located between Alice in Wonderland and Hilma Hooker. Novice divers will appreciate the calm waters, parallel reefs, and minimal currents, making it an ideal destination for both beginners and advanced divers.

Bonaire is known for its healthiest coral reefs and is a popular choice for both beginners and advanced divers. With over 85 dive sites, Bonaire is a must-visit destination for those looking for a unique and exciting scuba diving experience.

Where to dive in Bonaire?

See also: Best Diving in the Caribbean and Caribbean Liveaboards.1000 Steps. Descend the challenging staircase-like entry to be rewarded with a stunning dive site adorned with coral formations and sea fans. … Hilma Hooker. … Salt Pier. … Angel City. … Something Special. … Bari Reef. … The Lake. … Klein Bonaire.

Top 10 Dive Sites in Bonaire. A small island nation in the Caribbean, Bonaire is best known for being the “shore diving capital of the world”. With excellent scuba diving infrastructure at its well-marked shore diving sites along its coastline, Bonaire has long been a must-visit dive destination.

With over sixty dive sites accessible from shore and an expansive coral reef system, there are plenty of options for divers of all experience levels and interests. What are the best dive sites in Bonaire? The experts at Bluewater Travel, with help from some of our valued clients, have put together a list of Bonaire’s top ten dive sites along with some hot tips for making the most of your dive holiday in Bonaire!

Note:Beginning in 2023, Bonaire has been affected by a coral disease; read more here.

Where is Bonaire located at?

Bonaire, island and special municipality within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the westernmost group of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It lies 50 miles (80 km) north of the Venezuelan coast and 20 miles (32 km) east of Curaçao. The capital is Kralendijk. The northern part is hilly, with a peak, Brandaris, 787 feet (240 metres) high, while the southern part is flat, with desertlike vegetation. An adjacent islet, Klein Bonaire (Little Bonaire), with an area of 3 square miles (8 square km), is uninhabited, but its sandy white beaches are popular with divers. The temperature averages in the low 80s F (28 °C); the fresh and dry easterly trade winds bring less than 20 inches (500 mm) of rain a year.

Bonaire served in colonial times as a slave market, supplying slaves to the plantation economy of Curaçao. Most of the population is descended from enslaved Africans, while the remainder are descended from Caribbean Indians and the Spanish and Dutch settlers, in various combinations. The vast majority of the people are Roman Catholic.

Bonaire became part of the Netherlands Antilles in 1954 and had control of local matters through an Island Council, an Executive Council, and a lieutenant governor. In 2006 the people of Bonaire, along with those of the other islands and the government of the Netherlands, agreed to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles, an event that took place in October 2010. Bonaire, like Saba and Sint Eustatius, became a special municipality with close relations to the central government, similar to municipalities of the metropolitan Netherlands.

Are there crocodiles in Bonaire?

That is amazing and very unique because it is the only place on earth where you can without getting eaten by crocodiles!! I had a great time and I think it is one of the things you should do for sure if you wanna see all that bonaire has to offer! Incredible trip!

Is diving in Bonaire still good?

Bonaire is located just north of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. This Dutch Caribbean island has protected its marine resources for more than 35 years. Because of this, marine life abounds with more than 470 fish species found in Bonaire’s waters. Famed as one of the best Caribbean dive destinations, Bonaire hosts amazing coral reefs and long forgotten shipwrecks. Because the island’s dive sites are protected from any currents, this is one of the best places in the world to gain a new certification.

Visitors to Bonaire can choose between boat and shore diving. Most resorts have gorgeous reefs just offshore, but those visiting the further reaches of Bonaire National Marine Park will want to book a few dives from the region’s dive boats.

Bonaire’s dry season lasts from April to November. During these months, the island will be dry and sunny, experiencing practically no rain at all. Sea conditions remain steady and calm throughout the season with sea temperatures at 84°F (29°C) and air temperatures approximately 89°F (31°C). The dry season is recommended for those who value both beach time and dive time.

Are there sharks in Bonaire waters?

The most common toothy stars found around this Dutch Antilles island are nurse and Caribbean reef sharks, however, at some point in time, there have also been reported sightings of whale, hammerhead and tiger sharks. The best place to see sharks on Bonaire is on the lesser-explored, east coast of the island, particularly Baby Beach. Alternatively, there are occasional sightings on Klein Bonaire as well.

10. Witness Ostracod Bioluminescence. Night diving is something that every diver should do once or twice on their trip, and just after a full moon even more so.

In the night following a full moon, the waters of Bonaire are filled with bioluminescence emitted by tiny microscopic creatures called plankton. When the sun goes down, a few days after a full moon ostracods put on a glowing beads-on-a-string light show as they emerge from the soft coral and mate. Dinoflagellates, an even smaller type of plankton, are also present in the water. If you make rapid movements or kick around in the water you will feel like Tinkerbell sprinkling fairy dust in the sea.

Which is better for diving, Curaçao or Bonaire?

Start planning to Dive Curaçao and Bonaire. In the end, the question of whether Bonaire or Curaçao is better for a scuba diving vacation is a moot point. Both islands offer distinct and remarkable experiences, catering to the preferences of different travelers. Bonaire entices with its unmatched shore diving, serene ambiance, and abundant marine life. Curaçao charms visitors with its vibrant culture, exciting dive sites, and diverse range of activities. For those looking to embark on a scuba diving vacation in the Dutch Caribbean, why choose between the two when you can explore both? With a short flight time of less than 30 minutes between the islands, diving enthusiasts have the perfect opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of both Bonaire and Curaçao.

Now, start planning your Dutch Caribbean scuba diving adventure today with Dive Travel Curaçao! Contact us and get ready to embark on a journey that will provide a uniquely different and special dive vacation experience.

The Ultimate Dive Adventure: Dive Curaçao and Bonaire.

Are there sea snakes in Bonaire?

Bonaire has 86 marked dive sites and a rich marine ecosystem that includes brain, elkhorn, staghorn, mountainous star, and soft corals; anemones, sea cucumbers, and sea sponges; parrotfish, surgeonfish, angelfish, groupers, blennies, frogfish, and yellowtails; not to mention sea horses, sea turtles, moray eels, and sea snakes. Sixty of the sites are accessible by shore and are marked by painted yellow rocks along the roadside. Forest, with an abundance of black coral, and Hands Off, with its abundant marine life, are two favorite boat dive sites, both near Klein Bonaire, the small, uninhabited island off the west coast.

Created in 1979 to protect the island’s coral-reef ecosystem, Bonaire National Marine Parkincorporates the entire coastlines of both Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, the small, uninhabited island opposite Kralendijk. Collecting shells or coral is prohibited, as are spearfishing and anchoring (boats use permanent moorings). Visitors are asked to respect the marine environment and to refrain from activities that may damage it, including sitting, standing, leaning, or walking on the coral. Even a thin layer of silt can prove fatal to these delicate colonial marine animals that make up the fragile living surface of the coral formations. Feeding the fish is also illegal, not to mention unhealthy for the fish. Due to safety regulations since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., diving or snorkeling near any commercial piers requires an additional permit from the harbor master (in other words, you really should go elsewhere).

Because protecting nature is taken seriously, all divers, snorkelers, windsurfers, and swimmers are required to pay a nature fee of $10 per day or $25 per year. Tags are good for 1 calendar year and also permit admission into Washington-Slagbaai National Park. A 1-day pass can also be purchased for $10 for divers; nondivers 11 and under and Netherlands residents are exempt. Tags can be purchased at all dive shops as well as the Tourism Office at Kaya Grandi 2. An orientation dive is required for all divers. For more information, contact STINAPA Bonaire (tel. 599/717-8444; stinapa.org).

Is Bonaire cheaper than Aruba?

ARUBA: Although you can find some good value condo-style properties in Aruba, overall Bonaire offers accommodations at a cheaper price point.

For example, when we stayed at the adorable Boardwalk Boutique Hotel in Aruba it was around $500/night for the Deluxe Coco Casita with a kitchenette and outdoor shower.

BONAIRE: The cost per night at our stay at the Bamboo Bonaire Boutique Resort was around $250/night for a room with a private plunge pool. Even the newer boutique hotels like Belnem House Bonaire are around $250/night.

ARUBA: Aruba has lots of fun activities to participate in. Here are some highlights to give you a taste of what the island has to offer:

Is Bonaire part of Aruba?

Politics. Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which have their own parliament and prime minister. Bonaire is a “special municipality” of the Netherlands proper, and subject to Netherlands law.

• 2 constituent countries
• Aruba
• Curaçao
• 1 Special municipality
• Bonaire

• Aruban florin
• United States dollar
• Netherlands Antillean guilder

The ABC islands is the physical group of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. These have a shared political history and a status of Dutch underlying ownership, since the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 ceded them back to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as Curaçao and Dependencies from 1815. They are a short distance north of the Falcón State, Venezuela. Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous, self governing constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the countries, and its special municipalities, are outside the European Union; citizens have Dutch nationality and the former colonial power benefits from preferential trade, mineral and natural resource rights, particularly offshore.

Why is Bonaire so expensive?

The costs of living on Bonaire are on average 30% to 40% higher than in The Netherlands, while wages are a lower than in The Netherlands. The transport cost of the products is often seen as the reason for the high prices. Most products come largely from Netherlands, America and Curacao, a small portion comes from Venezuela.

Virtually everything is available on Bonaire, but sometimes you have to search a bit or wait for new supply to arrive, but most products are here for sale. Because everything has to be imported, oftentimes shelves in the supermarkets are empty, especially when it comes to fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Flowers are also often scarce and not for sale everywhere.

In the Netherlands you first make up your mind on what you want to eat and then you go to the supermarkets, on Bonaire you go to the supermarket to see what’s available and that’s what you eat that day.