Home to a fantastic array of marine life large and small, and with incredibly clear and ambient water, it is not surprising that Bonaire is one of the Caribbean’s best places to dive. You can enjoy diving in Bonaire all year round, as it is positioned south of the Hurricane belt and receives less rainfall than some other popular destinations. Let’s take a peek at ten of Bonaire’s best dive sites to see just why this place is so perfectly fabulous!
1000 Steps
Located on the island’s northwest coast, 1000 Steps is named for the staircase which allows easy access to and from the water. While there are really only 64 steps here, there seem to be more – particularly as you climb back up after your dive!
The reef itself begins in shallow water and extends all the way to 35 meters below the surface. Here, you’ll see angelfish and surgeonfish, doctor fish, triggerfish, trumpetfish, and more, plus loads of invertebrates living in and around the magnificent coral and sponge growth. Visibility usually exceeds 30 meters, and the area is perfect for all divers to explore.
Alice in Wonderland
A magnificent underwater garden worthy of a tea party with the Mad Hatter awaits at Alice in Wonderland, which is adjacent to another great site, called Angel City. With a sandy slope and a wonderfully colorful reef, both of which are populated by magnificent gorgonians, sponges, coral and sea plumes of all kinds, the area is home to everything from green moray and garden eels to snappers and angelfish. Maximum depth is 30 meters, with most features being located between 10 and 24 meters.
Invisibles
A fabulous double reef with a sandy channel running between its peaks offers a beautifully colorful landscape, and is one of the deeper dives in the area. The reef tops begin at 24 meters, and the bottom of the channel is at 40 meters. The slopes on either side of the channel are covered in magnificent growth, and you’ll find all sorts of fish and invertebrates everywhere you look. From large jacks, stingrays and reef sharks, to tiny sea horses, Invisibles has it all!
Pink Beach
This site is named for the beach onshore, and can be easily accessed by simply wading off the beach’s northern tip. After swimming along until you reach a depth of 9 meters, you’ll find yourself hovering over a drop off that meets the seabed at 30 meters. Here, you will find a lovely profusion of soft coral and sponge growth interspersed with sea plumes and whips, sea fans, and gorgonians.
The parade of fish and other creatures that populate the area is beyond belief. You’ll find everything from banded coral shrimp and blennies, to goatfish, chromis, and stingrays here, not to mention the eagle rays, octopus, and turtles that are seen with regularity.
Calabas Reef
Both the Dive Bonaire and Caribe Inn piers lead to Calabas reef, which begins at 10 meters, and meets up with the sandy sea bed at 38 meters. There is even a little wreck to explore at 21 meters, which is coated in coral and sponge growth, and teeming with life.
The entire reef is magnificent, hosting everything from tiny shrimp and flamingo tongues to yellowhead jawfish and blennies, bluefinned triggerfish, and a variety of wrasses, plus green and honeycomb moray eels, barracuda, tarpon, and more!
La Dania’s Leap
This is a great place to encounter larger fish, like groupers, tarpon, and sharks. The reef features beautiful rock formations covered in patches of sea grass and a variety of different coral species. With visibility at 30 meters or so, plus a mild current and an amazing view out into the blue, this is without doubt one of the best places for wide angle photographs in the area!
Maximum depth is 35 meters, and when the current is running, you can drift from here to the Karpata site.
Ol’ Blue
Often called Vista Blue, this flat reef is located on Bonaire’s south coast, and is home to a wonderful array of marine life, which has taken up residence in the magnificent coral and sponge growth that is everywhere.
The steep slopes create the perfect backdrop for photographing all the fish you’ll find here, as well as the hawksbill and green sea turtles that enjoy nibbling on the yellow sponges and patches of sea grass. While maximum depth is 30 meters, most of the best features are between 12 and 24 meters.
Karpata
This site is fantastic for all divers, with great visibility and very little current. While maximum depth is 32 meters, there is plenty to see in shallower water, all along the edge of the reef that extends from the breakwater. You’ll find turtles and manta rays here, along with parrotfish, squid, wrasse, horse-eye jacks, and plenty of other amazing creatures.
The site is very easy to access, thanks to a set of stairs that leads from the beach to the breakwater. Look for the cave and anchors as you explore the rocky walls, and be sure to keep an eye out for the small sharks that nap in the sand at the bottom of the reef.
Salt Pier
This is a fun site for all divers to enjoy, with a maze of pillars that are coated with sponges and soft coral, anemones, and small sea fans and sea whips. There is an almost unbelievable amount of other life here too – everything from soapfish to crabs, to goatfish, to barracuda and grunts can be found swimming and crawling about.
Salt Pier is fantastic both day and night, and with maximum depth at only 18 meters, you can spend plenty of time just exploring the site and photographing all the intriguing creatures that live here!
Rappel
This site is named in honor of a diver and mountaineer who decided to rappel his way from the seabed, at 35 meters, all the way up to the cliff’s top above the surface! Local dive shops conduct classes here, along the wall, which is fantastically covered in coral and sponge growth, and though you can drop all the way to the ocean floor if you like, you’ll find that the best life is located between 10 and 21 meters. Watch for tarpon, groupers, sharks, barracuda, and moray eels, plus plenty of smaller, colorful reef fish.
A trip to Bonaire is an unforgettable experience; one that is made even better by taking the time to brush up on your underwater photography skills so you can capture the images of all the amazing creatures you’ll encounter here. Be sure to book your trip well in advance!