The beautiful island of Bonaire is considered one of the top destinations in the Caribbean for snorkeling and shore diving. If Bonaire is on your bucket list, you should expect to find golden sands, tranquility, friendly local people, fantastic food, great places to visit, and, of course, the perfect water to dive and snorkel. Want to know where to go? We have compiled a list of Bonaire’s Best Dive and Snorkel Spots.
Scuba on Bonaire
Bonaire’s scuba instructors are known to be among the best in the world, and the island is filled with international certifying agencies where you can get multi-lingual instruction for beginners’ diving courses, an open water scuba course or a one-day familiarization course. If you are at an intermediate or advanced level, then you can expand develop your skills trying your hand at specialty courses such as wreck, NITROX, night diving or navigation.
If you love the world beneath the waves, then Bonaire is the perfect place to admire the beautiful coral reefs and exotic underwater flora and fauna.
You should know that to use the waters in Bonaire you are required to buy a nature tag ($25 for divers and $10 for all others). With this fee you will help ensure the protection and preservation of the Bonaire National Marine Park.
Captain Don
Believe it or not, the beginning of the diving industry in Bonaire is related to an event that took place in 1962. This was the year when Captain Don Stewart arrived on the island, and he set up Bonaire’s first dive operation at Flamingo Beach. He also played a major role in the reef preservation and the formation of the island’s Marine Park.
Thanks to Captain Don Stewart’s ability to see the value of this island, thousands of tourists can enjoy world-class diving. The easy access shore diving, excellent visibility, and calm waters make Bonaire the top destination for scuba certification too.
Bonaire’s 5 Best Dive and Snorkel Spots
There are so many amazing sites on Bonaire where you can dive and snorkel, each one beautiful in its own way. Still, there are several places that will definitely take your breath away.
Here is top five best spots according to those who know, the visiting divers and snorkelers.
1. 1,000 Steps
Don’t worry, you won’t have to climb or descend 1,000 steps. The name of the site was given for shore divers, most of whom consider that the 64 steps that connect the road to the beach feel like 1,000 on the way back up. The site offers amazing formations of star corals, which have risen into pagoda-style structures. Many sea creatures hide inside the corals’ holes, and you can also see manta rays and handbill turtles. Whale sharks have also been spotted here.
The depth of the water is 20-100 feet (6-30 meters).
2. No Name
The No Name site is located in front of the beach with the same name…or no name. Here you can spot many Yellow-headed jaw fish and Black Sailfin Blennies that live in the coral rubble. The No Name site is one of the most popular on Klein Bonaire.
The depth of the water is 30-100 feet (10-30 meters).
3. Andrea 1 & 2
Andrea 1 & 2 are the perfect sites for the beginning snorkelers and divers, who can easily see soft corals, anemones, and seahorses. What makes Andrea really unique are the big parrot fish, which impress with their amazing colors and size (over 3 feet in length).
The depth of the water is 20-100 feet (6-30 meters).
4. Hilma Hooker
This wreck dive is internationally known, and it is located close to the beginning of the double reef system. The mast of the ship lies at 99 feet and the top at 66 feet. Although divers will be limited in their time under water because of the depth, they can still see how corals have developed on the ship, which sunk in 1984.
The depth of the water is 25-100 feet (8-30 meters).
5. Karpata
Karpata is very popular with shore divers, and it is known for its excellent visibility and breathtaking panorama views. Wide-angle photographers can take unique pictures here, and divers can pose over branching colonies of elkhorn or by enormous anchors that have been embedded in the coral.
The depth of the water is 20-100 feet (6-30 meters).
The beautiful Bonaire island offers wonderful activities, both in the sea and on land, in a magnificent setting. We invite you to explore, enjoy and become part of Bonaire. Visit Bonaire and absorb its cuisine, culture and nature. You will have a holiday that you will never forget.
