Big Blue Planet - Bonaire dive location holiday destination information for SCUBA divers who want to go diving.

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Destinations

Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico

Netherlands Antilles

Bonaire

Location: Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles)

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On this page you can see an overview of the location, including interactive maps, climate data, and photos. You can also see what other divers thought, the top dive sites, what fish to see, and what wrecks there are. We also have detailed listings of dive centres, resorts, travel agents and helpfull websites.

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Bonnaire is known as the Diver's Paradise! This is not an idle claim, as this island has set itself up as a place of total diving freedom.

Along with the usual selection of boat dives (of which there are many), the island has also pioneered the concept of unlimited shore diving. There are many diving resorts spaced out along the western side of the island and each will leave a selection of full tanks outside (even at night!). You can exit from the water after a shallow shore dive, unhitch your tank and replace it for free with a full one, and then go immediately diving again (even if you are not staying at that resort!). You can do this as much as safety allows - and a lot of divers do! If you have a hire car you can do even more. Every dive site on Bonaire is accessible from the shore and each location is well marked on the nearest road. Load up your hire car with tanks and you and your buddy can literally dive yourself around the island!

The reefs on the south and western shores are pristine (even though hurricane Lenny in 1999 came as a surprise visitor - Bonaire is outside the usual hurrican belt). This is due to them all being part of the Bonnaire maritime park. All are protected and stunning with lots of vigourous coral growth and excellant colours. To dive in bonaire you pay approx. $25 for a licence disc to the park which you attach to your BCD, that is valid for a year.

Bonnaire is not a location for big pelagics but is well know for the range of macro photography available (sea horses etc.). As well as the western fringing reef, there is a smaller uninhabited island called Klein Bonaire on the western side, and dive locations exist all around it's edge. However, to get there requires a trip by boat but this is standard (about 50% of Bonaires boat dive sites are around Klein Bonaire). As well as macro life you are guaranteed to see Moray Eels (some huge) and if lucky, turtles.

Bonaire is totally dedicated to water sports and little else. As well as the diving which can keep you busy for a long time, there is windsurfing on the wind bashed eastern side of the island. Additionally, Bonaire is famous for it's production of sea salt, and you can drive around the island and see the large salt pans drying out in the arid conditions. Kralendijke is the main town and most of the dive resorts are located within reasonable distance. The distances can be too great for walking however, so if you do not have a hire car, make sure you hire a bike (and make sure you choose a good one!).

Location Photos: