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BONAIRE: A DIVER'S PARADISE

World-renowned as a dive destination, Bonaire seemingly has it all for every type of diver and diving. Ideal visibility, superb shore diving, seemingly infinite reef diving, and an environmentally conscious dive industry all make Bonaire one of the best dive vacation spots on the planet.

Bonaire was formed by volcanic eruptions, forming an incredible underwater mountain with fringe reefs. Shaped like a boomerang, Bonaire is only 24 miles long and from three to seven miles wide. Less than a mile off the west coast is the uninhabited Klein Bonaire (Little Bonaire), which, through local efforts, was purchased from those who wanted to develop it.  Located well out of the hurricane belt just north of Venezuela, Bonaire offers diving 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thanks to annual rainfall that averages around 20 inches, freshwater runoff is minimal, contributing further to ideal dive conditions.  There are more than 80 marked dive sites awaiting Bonaire visitors. The fringe reefs are literally right off the shore and the average boat trip to dive sites is 15 minutes, with the farthest sites generally reached in an hour at most.

Bonaire is a shore diving Mecca and is consistently rated as a top shore diving destination by Rodale’s Scuba Diving readers. More than 75% of Bonaire Marine Park’s sites are easy shore dives.  The best reefs are found within the protected leeward side of the island, where the reefs have a narrow, sloping terrace extending seaward with a drop-off at 33 feet, followed by a slope varying from 30 feet to a vertical wall of 100 to 200 feet.  Excellent shore dive sites include: Playa Funchi, Boca Slagbaai, Alice in Wonderland, Jefferson Davis Reef, Thousand Steps, Nukove, and Town Pier (local guide required). Some sites generally best left to boat diving include: the Hilma Hooker wreck, Invisibles, ‘Ol Blue, and all of Klein Bonaire (Captain Don’s Reef, Forest, and South Bay are three of the best, but there are more than 20 others!).

Divers will typically see larger grouper and tarpon, as well as lots of smaller fish life that has led REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) to rank Bonaire tops in the Caribbean for sheer quantity of species. Rarely seen at most dive destinations, many divers will find seahorses and other great miniature life (especially when diving with local guides like Dee Scarr, who is featured in the sidebar).

Bonaire diving remains generally pristine. With a far-sighted dedication to protecting their assets both under and above the water, the government of Bonaire was environmentally aware long before it became fashionable. Way back in 1979, Bonaire designated all surrounding waters as a Marine Park, including a ban on spearfishing and coral collecting within the park, and later instituted permanent moorings to minimize anchor damage. A reef preservation program offers visiting divers free advanced and photo buoyancy control workshops through all island dive shops. As a result of all of these efforts, divers and snorkelers find the reefs virtually untouched, with lush coral growth and an abundant fish population.

Island hotels and dive shops cater to divers and snorkelers, offering all levels of training and great underwater photography opportunities. Most dive operators offer unlimited shore diving and a wide array of boat excursions. A certification or 'C' card allows you to rent tanks and dive throughout the world but just because you aren't certifited to dive doesn't mean you shouldn't catch the next flight to Bonaire.  Two great options await 'non-divers' when they get to Bonaire: snorkeling and the resort course.

All of the reasons that Bonaire is a great dive destination also apply to snorkeling.  Right from their hotels, snorkelers can wade from the shore to reefs seen through crystal-clear water.  Coral formations and colorful fish are numerous just a short swim from Bonaire's shoreline, with those of Washington-Slagbaai Park and Klein Bonaire particularly popular.  Lots of island dive shops rent snorkeling gear and provide simple instruction.

For those who really want to get up close and personal with underwater Bonaire, most dive shops offer a 'resort course.' This is a shortened, but still safe, method of learning the basics of diving--once you go through the course, you can go diving with instructors while you're on Bonaire.  Many people take the resort course on Bonaire, fall in love with diving, and get certifiied.

Bonaire also hosts the popular Bonaire Dive Festival each June. Like earlier versions, the Sixth Annual Dive Festival in 2003 will offer great packages at participating resorts, lots of diving, seminars, underwater photography workshops, evening events and parties, and many other possibilities.

But whenever you choose to go, Bonaire is a diving paradise waiting to be discovered.

For further information, visit www.infobonaire.com before your visit. Once on-island, simply ask about diving at your hotel or visit one of the island’s many dive shops.

Dee Scarr: The Grande Dame of Bonaire Diving

Quite simply, Dee Scarr is the diving goddess of Bonaire. Her dives, books, and slide shows provide an inside look at underwater life rarely experienced by certified divers. When you go to Bonaire, a dive with Dee should be mandatory.

With almost 25 years of professional diving, Dee is an experienced naturalist whose goal is to help others gain a better understanding of marine creatures. She accomplishes this through her "Touch the Sea" dives, her writing, and her popular slide presentations.  Dee's "Touch the Sea" dive programs present sea life in a way that amazes veteran and novice divers alike. Participants are likely to feed anemones, tickle fish, meet moray eels, play with octopuses, and have a nice manicure performed by cleaner shrimp. "Touch the Sea" divers leave the water changed people. Dee's love and understanding of undersea life is definitely contagious.

Dee has also published three successful and interesting books: Touch the Sea, Coral's Reef, and The Gentle Sea. Along with her legendary dives, these books provide a perfect introduction to Dee Scarr's world. If that isn't enough, Dee also offers great slide shows. Her events draw large crowds in Bonaire and she also does many presentations at dive shops, clubs, and symposiums throughout the world.

For more information about Dee and her dives, books, and shows, visit www.touchthesea.com or, on-island, call 717-8529