8 Separate 1 week trips to Bonaire, 1
25-dive live-aboard trip to the Caymans (Cayman Aggressor IV) and 1
20-dive trip to Key Largo diving with Rainbow Reef Dive Center back in early September 2013,
10 dives in September in Jupiter, FL, and
9 dives out of Morehead City, NC.
Only did 2 dives in Cozumel in a cruise ship stop; never dove Curacao. So that's my frame of reference, and I linked you to some of my trip reports in case they may help. What I think of Key Largo vs. Bonaire:
1.) All boat dives. Lacks a sandy beach for non-divers. Relatively shallow sites (not all), often over flat bottom instead of sloping wall. Good viz. but not up to Bonaire standards; I'd say around 50 feet vs. 70-100 feet. Plenty good enough. Key Largo had some sites that seemed fishier, with a larger variety of sizable stuff. Bonaire has schools of French Grunts; Key Largo may have schools of Blue-Striped Grunts. Bonaire has a few skittish Tiger Grouper and occasional Cubera Snapper; Key Largo has Black Grouper, some Nassau, and on deep wreck dives Goliath Grouper. Never saw a shark on Bonaire; saw Nurse and Reef Sharks in Key Largo, plus considerably more string rays on average for a give # of dives. Seemed like more big barracuda in Key Largo, though can be seen either place. Key Largo had Gray Angelfish and Porkfish; never saw those in Bonaire.
2.) Little Cayman and downright docile Nassau Grouper I've not seen the match of anywhere.
3.) Jupiter, FL - deep drift diving (as in '90 feet to the sand') with lower viz. but good enough, drifting along the edge of a deep ledge or visiting a wreck (e.g.:
Esso Bonaire, the
MG-111), reef looked more like a lawn, basically a big animals destination and quite good for that. Got some nice Goliath Grouper snap shots, and they were the main reason I went. Plan to dive nitrox. (45 minute bottom time, then head up, was our typical experience).
4.) Morehead City, NC - I threw in there because while it's all wreck diving, not reef (I heard some deep ledge diving down around Wilmington; haven't done that), you can O.D. on close-up Sand Tiger Shark action and see Amberjack, schools of Atlantic Spadefish, some big Barracuda, and basically see things you DON'T see in the Caribbean. Not a place I'd hit every year, but I'm glad I went.
Richard.