Bonaire site recommendations for my first and last trip

[scubadada]

Bas Tol with BasDiving.com for east coast guided shore diving. I don't recall off-hand about the boat diving.

Waves pound the east coast pretty hard. The west coast is the leeward side of Bonaire, so the island protects the dive sites off the west coast and the waters are quite calm by oceanic standards.

The main activity I see on the east coast is a place called Jibe City at Lac Bay, where people wind surf. On the west coast, down near the Atlantis dive site, people kite board.

Hintermann:

I think if you did more than one trip to Bonaire, and got your customary workflow down, you'd really like it. After all, shore diving, you (& a buddy if you're not solo) are the only ones making or changing any plans. There is no schedule unless you make one. There's no one else to coordinate with.

Richard.

East Coast Diving Diving Bonaire on the wildside, Dive bonaire eastcoast and see the big 5., used to be Larry's Wild Side, they're very good

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hi Sinbad

This is a compilation from several trip and I am no videographer but you can see some pretty good creatures in Bonaire. Normally we mostly dive the north but this last trip the winds were down so we hit the southern sites. Huge bait balls and the most turtles I have even seen on a drive trip, including Florida. Loved Sweet Dreams, Vista Blue and Red Beryl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZEYTtKkZBA&feature=youtu.be


This one is from this Fall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-_ZqeW4xSg

Lisa

Manta Ray in the first video is awesome! Also loved the octo on the night dive.

 

[uncfnp]

Manta Ray in the first video is awesome! Also loved the octo on the night dive.

Can't guarantee a Manta but night dives in Bonaire almost guaranteed to have at least a few tarpon and an octopus.

 

[Roatan Joe]

Can't guarantee a Manta but night dives in Bonaire almost guaranteed to have at least a few tarpon and an octopus.

We did night dives at the Buddy Reef and it was tarpon galore. It was almost unnerving having huge tarpon continually sneaking up from behind me out of the darkness and then effortlessly gliding by.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Can't guarantee a Manta but night dives in Bonaire almost guaranteed to have at least a few tarpon and an octopus.

Why night only? Don't the Octos come out during the day?

 

[hroark2112]

We found a few during the daytime last week. They just seem to hide more during the day.

Try to go with an open mind. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

If you're just absolutely in need of something closer to NC diving, hit the Hilma Hooker. Easy penetration and there are usually some tarpon around. Not an impressive wreck but still fun.

 

[uncfnp]

Why night only? Don't the Octos come out during the day?

We see them occasionally during the daytime but much more frequently at night. No octopi expert but I think they more commonly hunt at night. On the night dive just before the one in the video, an octopus actually followed me for a short time then ended up swimming toward me and wrapping a tentacle around my hand then tried too pull me back to him. Fun! Didn't have my camera with me of course.

 

[RTee]

+1 with East Coast Diving. They do boat dives (drift dives) out of Lake Cai. In fact, that was the only boat dives I did in Bonaire. Great folks and Big Zodiac.

Sinbad, they call the East side the Wild Side...and rightly so due to being the windward. I've got a couple of pics (Big turtles, Eagle rays and tarpon daytime) in my Bonaire album (not the greatest as they were taken with a GoPro 2). Next Feb, I will be using a 4/3 camera.

 

[deedeediver]

Why night only? Don't the Octos come out during the day?

Hey Sinbad, you are right,, the Octos are out during the day, i have a nice video of a few but not for public viewing as I am not the best photographer or videographer, i did video a nice octo.. but re the tarpons- they are there day and night, ( I am a good diver not a good photographer)
on the east coast, i actually took a very armature pic of the first Manta Ray with East Coast Dive Operation when it was taken over from the original owner, which again the pic was very armature. But the island talked about me for at least a day, which in USA is equivalent to 10 seconds... LOL after that, there are many published and better pics. SOOOO dont miss the east coast dive on the boat! Go East Coat Dive Op

 

[driftwood]

Roughly from north west coast headed down, focusing on good sites and that are popular with strong name recognition.


21.) I have never figured out how to find and get to the site 'Something Special,' but it's often spoken of and from what I understand somehow distinctive.

Richard.

Something Special is just south of the channel into the harbor at the north end of Kralendijk. It got its name from the large number of "Something Special" liquor bottles recovered during a cleanup years ago. The site is also very close to the location of the WWII German POW camp on the island. You get a lot of human trash that makes it prime octopus habitat.

In theory, it is best done as a boat dive since all the waterfront property is single family houses without public access.

Now for big pelagics, I did hear about one diver who spotted a sperm whale in Lac Bay about 8 years ago.