Recent Bonaire Feedback Requested

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
The above comments about the hurricane damage to Bonaire's reefs are true (unfortunately).

Sometimes it seems like everywhere I go in the Caribbean, someone says "the reef was better before Hurricane so-and-so hit us." It was Bonaire's turn, I suppose. So if one is looking for a Caribbean destination that has not seen damage to its reef from hurricanes or population growth, where would people suggest? Uh huh. I thought so.

 

[Tunaman68]

We were there for the first time in July and LOVED it! We thought the reef and fish life looked very healthy (I have nothing to compare it to except Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Hawaii recently).

We did have a minor theft in the truck (the face plate off the radio) which the rental agency said not to worry about. We only left flip flops, t-shirts and water in the truck while diving. We always felt safe, and found the locals to be lovely.

We didn't have a 'bad' dive all week, but stand outs included Invisibles, Cliff, Karpata, a guided dive at Lac Cai, and Forest (on Klein) and Rappel which were done as boat dives.

I have never had a problem with crime in Hawaii and I have been going to Hawaii (mainly Maui) for 20+years. I find the food better in Maui (some choices are much more expensive, but we also know how to get good grinds for cheap there too). Underwater they are really apples and oranges. Hawaii can have stellar visibility, caves and cool topography (especially the big island and Lanai) and we encounter larger life more often, but for soft corals, and pure numbers of fish, Bonaire blew us away.

I would go back in a heartbeat, but the damn airfare from LAX is just ridiculous. I think Coz will always be our #1 in the Caribbean, but I will definitely plan a return to Bonaire some day.

 

[darook]

We spent a week there over the holidays and the reefs have never looked better in our 4 trips. As previously mentioned visibility varies by site and time of day. The viz is plenty good to see all of the cool stuff around you. I love both Bonaire for easy shore diving and Cozumel for cool coral formations and bigger animals. They both smoke any Hawaii diving I have done.

 

[wierts]

If you are looking for a nice place for easy diving, Bonaire is hard to beat.
Shore diving for me is one of the great pleasures of Bonaire.
Dive sites are marked wit yellow stones and current is manageable.
Some places have deteriorated over time. There is still an abundance of fish, do not expect the big stuff.

In my opinion the freedom of diving when you want and not being on a boat with 25 others is hard to beat.

 

[wwguy]

I am currently planning an early April dive trip and strongly considering Bonaire. My wife and I are not newbies but also not experts. We have logged about 90 dives over the past 5 years… most of them in Hawaii. We are considering Bonaire because we have always heard that the visibility and reefs are excellent.

In my research, I have read multiple reviews that say the reef has deteriorated significantly in recent years and some who have said that they were disappointed in the reef, the visibility, and the island (crime).

If you have been there in the past year or so, could you please provide your perspective on visibility, reef health, marine life, as well as general safety on the island? Also we are considering Harbour Village Beach Club… any input?

Regarding crime: We've enjoyed 20 weeks on Bonaire spread out over 14 years. Our only brush with crime was a cheap pair of sunglasses pilfered from our unattended truck at a remote dive site (Andrea II.) But crime does happen there, as it does all over the world. Choose you property and behavior appropriately and you likely won't have any problems.

Regarding reef health: Personally I think that terms like "better" or "worse" aren't helpful without the context of previous experience and/or future expectations. We've been visiting Bonaire for many years and have seen things change in both directions. Right now I think things are trending better than a few years ago, but they aren't as great as they were in the 90's up until hurricane Lenny in 1999. But that's just my perspective, because that's only as far back as my experience goes.

A couple of years ago I engaged in an internet discussion similar to this with an experienced diver planning a trip to Bonaire with her husband. Coincidentally we were also on-island at the same time and even had a chance to get together for dinner one evening. A couple of weeks after the trip I was amazed to read a trip report where she described the Bonaire reefs as "dead". I'm not arguing with her assessment, but I don't get it either. Again I guess it's all about context and perspective measured against expectations.

Here's some highlight GoPro footage from our recent Bonaire trip over Christmas and New Years. I'm not much of a camera guy, so GoPro appeals to me. The footage is just point-and-shoot with ambient light aided by a depth color-correcting filter. But I think the reef speaks for itself in this video. If you want to read my full trip report and/or check out more video from this trip you can find it here on BonaireTalk. The last thing we did before leaving the island was make a deposit for our next trip. Bonaire is like that for some people.

The reef on Bonaire aren't perfect, but they look pretty darned good to us...

[video=youtube;B_odWHJzD94]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_odWHJzD94[/video]

 

[Lorenzoid]

Very nice video. I like Bonaire, and I think the reef is on par with any of the popular Caribbean dive destinations. Hurricanes change the balance over time, but Caribbean reefs are Caribbean reefs. Maybe the couple whose trip report described the Bonaire reef as "dead" were more accustomed to the Indo-Pacific? It's been brought up before--maybe even in this thread--that the Caribbean is convenient for us North Americans but, on average, the reefs just don't compare with Indonesia, etc.

 

[Safety Stop]

OK, if you left you door and windows open during your dives, where do you put your vehicule's keys? With the electronics these days, I wont carry my keys underwater so hidding them, you are at risk that one of the theft see you and leave with the vehicle.

 

[Lorenzoid]

OK, if you left you door and windows open during your dives, where do you put your vehicule's keys? With the electronics these days, I wont carry my keys underwater so hiding them, you are at risk that one of the theft see you and leave with the vehicle.

The keys on those Bonaire rental trucks are not electronic. They're just plain old metal-and-plastic keys. They can go in a BC pocket. Judging from the rust on the ones I got, I would say they have spent some time underwater. That said, I do dive with a small dry-box that I put my phone, keys and some money in.

 

[T.C.]

I am currently planning an early April dive trip and strongly considering Bonaire. My wife and I are not newbies but also not experts. We have logged about 90 dives over the past 5 years… most of them in Hawaii. We are considering Bonaire because we have always heard that the visibility and reefs are excellent.

In my research, I have read multiple reviews that say the reef has deteriorated significantly in recent years and some who have said that they were disappointed in the reef, the visibility, and the island (crime).

If you have been there in the past year or so, could you please provide your perspective on visibility, reef health, marine life, as well as general safety on the island? Also we are considering Harbour Village Beach Club… any input?

Thanks in advance!

You'll love Bonaire. PROMISE.

The viz is often perfect, 100+ I have a picture that I'm too lazy to upload from the Hilma hooker where you can see half the 300+ foot wreck...from 50 feet away. Sometimes the viz drops to 75 feet. That's about the worst I've seen.

The reefs are probably the best in the Carribean (unless you go to Cuba- from what I've heard). Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe the Hurricane hurt them. You'll NEVER know the difference. I don't. If someone says the viz or reef was disappointing...please smack them upside the head for me.

Crime; I've been there twice, and only had one problem. I got complacent and let my buddies bring a bunch of stuff; bags, glasses, keys...I lost a camera bag that was zipped up, and only had a few batteries and my Multi-Cam hat (from Afghanistan) in it. One buddy lost a zipped up bag with his glasses in it. But they left a pair of reading glasses that were in the open, as well as a room key in the glove compartment (they opened that). They only took the CLOSED bags. They left the mesh bags.

I don't believe it was the locals. I think it was other divers (this was at Tolo). The locals have a vested interest in keeping crime low. Again; I think the main reason was that I got complacent and didn't want to waste time convincing them, and waiting for them to take the stuff back to the rooms. Simple tips you've heard: roll down the windows, unlock the doors, and only bring stuff you won't mind losing- towels, a cheap pair of sunglasses, water bottles, you know what you'll need. Set up your unit before you leave your hotel, put on your suit there, and don't bring a bag. Minimalist diving. Take your key underwater with you.

Now, if you NEED to bring something (medication, save a dive kit, etc.), PM me. I know EVERY place to hide something on a Toyota Hi-Lux. I did three tours in places where the Hi-Lux is about the only vehicle that the locals drive (other than the family motorcycle). Need to hide an AK? RPG launcher? I'll tell you where!

As Mr. Earle said; "I learned a thing or two from haji, don't you know..."

 

[Doctorfish]

I've not weighed in on this post but will now.
T.C. is right, Bonaire is a great Caribbean dive destination. Great shallow reefs with a conservation program in place and an abundance of macro critters. The reefs may have been better in the past, but they are still very good. The West side reefs provide easy shore access, dive freedom, calm shallow waters, easy navigation, generally excellent visibility and minimal currents. If you are looking for big animals, go to the East ( wild ) side.l The island is not crowded or over developed, but the infrastructure works. You can even drink the water. The culture is a great blend and the food is excellent with an interesting fusion cuisine.
There are a number of non diving activities if you are interested, including hiking, caves, mountain biking, mangrove snorkelling and outstanding wind surfing.

The crime is petty and mostly avoidable, particularly in comparison to other places. I'd rather be in Bonaire at night than West Bay on Grand Cayman for example.

It is not by accident that Bonaire attracts so many repeat visitors every year, including me and my family.