Bonaire - June 2014
Bon Bini! This was my first trip back to Bonaire since 2006 and it's still an island all about diving and the undersea world. June, we found out, is the windy month so there were also many surfers around to wind and kite surf Lac Bay on the east side of the island. This year my group of 25 stayed at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort just south of the capital city of Kralendijk. Divi Flamingo is one of the oldest dive resorts on the island and is starting to show it's age, but the rooms were clean and comfortable. The location is fantastic, within walking distance of town and right on the water, with dive sites easily accessible by boat. Conveniently, our package included a daily buffet breakfast, though I got a little tired of the same menu by mid-week. We were on our own for lunch and dinner, but there many restaurant choices on the island (my favorite was the Unbelievable Restaurant) and a couple of warehouse grocery stores to stock up on snacks.
The highlight of this resort is their well-organized dive shop. Not only was dive shop manager, Serge, well-prepared for our group, but he stayed on top of every detail throughout the week, including assisting my divers with equipment issues, often at no charge. Many of our divers took advantage of the easy and convenient diving from the resort dock for day and night diving. Several divers loaded up tanks (available 24/7) in rental trucks to explore the famous Bonaire shore-diving, but I think the general consensus was that shore-diving is a lot of work and can be challenging even in Bonaire. Boat dives were easy with little or no current. I found the underwater vegetation to be very healthy, with an abundance of macro marine life and schools of colorful fish. Large pelagics are rare in Bonaire. The biggest fish of the week was the tarpon - plentiful during the night dive. It's a little shocking to have a 4-foot tarpon sidle up beside you, waiting for you to shine your light on his evening meal. My favorite dive sites were the Salt Pier, the wreck of the Hilma Hooker and sites off Klein Bonaire (a little island off the west coast of Bonaire). Visual treats included a pair seahorses hanging out on the same coral...and later, a pregnant male seahorse. I also saw a unappetizing, prehistoric-looking Spanish Lobster and a 3-foot long Rainbow Parrotfish. I count myself lucky that I avoided putting my hand on a completely camouflaged rock scorpionfish, while trying to get the perfect photo of his mate right next to him. I love Bonaire's diving for it's beauty and simplicity. I love being a scuba spectator and watching life in the underwater arena unfold before my eyes. I loved getting nipped by Sergeant Majors protecting their eggs, watching fish defend their territory, watching an octopus try to "hide" using his camouflage...it's all so fascinating!
*For more photos, visit my Facebook page - Kona Wind Scuba with Stephanie*
Bon Bini! This was my first trip back to Bonaire since 2006 and it's still an island all about diving and the undersea world. June, we found out, is the windy month so there were also many surfers around to wind and kite surf Lac Bay on the east side of the island. This year my group of 25 stayed at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort just south of the capital city of Kralendijk. Divi Flamingo is one of the oldest dive resorts on the island and is starting to show it's age, but the rooms were clean and comfortable. The location is fantastic, within walking distance of town and right on the water, with dive sites easily accessible by boat. Conveniently, our package included a daily buffet breakfast, though I got a little tired of the same menu by mid-week. We were on our own for lunch and dinner, but there many restaurant choices on the island (my favorite was the Unbelievable Restaurant) and a couple of warehouse grocery stores to stock up on snacks.
The highlight of this resort is their well-organized dive shop. Not only was dive shop manager, Serge, well-prepared for our group, but he stayed on top of every detail throughout the week, including assisting my divers with equipment issues, often at no charge. Many of our divers took advantage of the easy and convenient diving from the resort dock for day and night diving. Several divers loaded up tanks (available 24/7) in rental trucks to explore the famous Bonaire shore-diving, but I think the general consensus was that shore-diving is a lot of work and can be challenging even in Bonaire. Boat dives were easy with little or no current. I found the underwater vegetation to be very healthy, with an abundance of macro marine life and schools of colorful fish. Large pelagics are rare in Bonaire. The biggest fish of the week was the tarpon - plentiful during the night dive. It's a little shocking to have a 4-foot tarpon sidle up beside you, waiting for you to shine your light on his evening meal. My favorite dive sites were the Salt Pier, the wreck of the Hilma Hooker and sites off Klein Bonaire (a little island off the west coast of Bonaire). Visual treats included a pair seahorses hanging out on the same coral...and later, a pregnant male seahorse. I also saw a unappetizing, prehistoric-looking Spanish Lobster and a 3-foot long Rainbow Parrotfish. I count myself lucky that I avoided putting my hand on a completely camouflaged rock scorpionfish, while trying to get the perfect photo of his mate right next to him. I love Bonaire's diving for it's beauty and simplicity. I love being a scuba spectator and watching life in the underwater arena unfold before my eyes. I loved getting nipped by Sergeant Majors protecting their eggs, watching fish defend their territory, watching an octopus try to "hide" using his camouflage...it's all so fascinating!
*For more photos, visit my Facebook page - Kona Wind Scuba with Stephanie*